The Way I Loved You
by jumpthenfallx
Summary: 4 years ago, Miley became pregnant and her world fell apart. She left and didn't tell the father. Follow her journey as she comes home and faces the father of her daugther, as well as his child-hating fiance. R&R. Better than it sounds. Niley.
1. Chapter 1

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 1.

Miley Stewart cried as she stared at the pregnancy test in her hand. _Positive_. The word stood out, and in her mind, everything was frozen as she looked at the test that she held in her delicate hand. She couldn't handle a baby. It was too much for her.

There was a knock on the door, and she looked up to see her best friend, Lilly Truscott, and Lilly sat down beside her and looked at the test. She had known of Miley's pregnancy fears and had dropped by to see if Miley was actually pregnant.

"Oh, Miley. It'll be alright. You have Nick. He'll be there, for you and for the child that he helped create," Lilly said, and Miley sobbed harder at the thought of the baby's father, Nick Gray, her boyfriend of 2 years.

"No, he won't, Lilly! He dumped me this morning! He said that the relationship was getting too much for him, and that he couldn't handle something this serious when we're only 18! Lilly, what am I going to do? I got accepted into PRINCETON a month ago! And now I have a fricking baby!" Miley sobbed, and Lilly wrapped an arm around Miley and pulled her close.

"Ssh, Miles. It'll all be alright. We graduate next week. Then you can go to Princeton and you'll never have to see Nick again. I promise that everything will be OK," Lilly said. Her attempts at calming Miley worked, and Miley took a deep breath and looked at Lilly.

"Lils, I can't go to Princeton. I'm pregnant. I think ... I think I'm going to go back to Tennessee after graduation. Raise the baby there. My parents never sold the farm when we moved up here to California. So I'll raise the baby on the farm. Without Nick," Miley said.

"Miles ... It's his kid we're talking about, here. Don't you think he has the right to know that his ex-girlfriend is PREGNANT?! If you were in Nick's position, wouldn't you want to know if you were going to be a parent?" Lilly asked.

"Not when I had just dumped the mother."

_**4 and a half years later ...**_

Joe Gray, Nick's brother, walked onto the Tennessee farm that Miley lived on, and he walked into the main house. Before Miley had left, she had told Joe, their brothers Kevin and Frankie, her parents, her siblings, and Mr. and Mrs. Gray. Everyone important knew. Except, of course, Nick himself. They had all been sworn to secrecy by Miley.

When he stepped inside, a small 4 year old girl jumped on him and hugged him tightly, screaming, "UNCLE JOEY! YOU CAME TO VISIT!" Joe recognised her as his niece, Abigail Madison Gray. She looked exactly like her mother, with long, curly chocolate brown hair, and she had the same facial features as Miley, and the same energy. The one thing of his brother Joe noticed was the same chocolate brown eyes that Nick had. The ones that made every girl Nick met fall at his feet. Joe smiled at his niece.

"Hey, Abi! Where's your mom? I need to talk to her. My flight back to Los Angeles is in a couple of hours," Joe asked and Abigail took his hand and pulled him into the kitchen, and Joe saw his best friend, Abigail's mother, sitting at the table, reading a paper and sipping her coffee.

"Mommy! Mommy! Uncle Joe came to see you!" Abigail said happily, and she ran over to Miley. Miley smiled at Abigail and pulled her onto her lap. Joe walked over and sat down beside Miley. He looked at her, and Miley could tell by the look in his eyes that something was wrong. "Good, because I have something to tell him," Miley said.

"You go first," he said quietly, and Miley looked at him, worried.

"What's wrong? Did something happen back in LA?" she asked in a worried tone, and Joe looked at her and said, "Tell me your good news first."

"Alright ... Well, you know how I'm a wedding planner? Well, my dad found an office back in LA who's looking for a new planner. And I applied, and they accepted! Joe, it's one of the best places in the country if you're a wedding planner! Me and Abigail are moving back to LA!" Miley said excitedly, and Joe froze.

"Um, Miles, there _is_ a problem back in LA. Remember how Nick moved to New York after graduation? Well, he hadn't gotten over you, until last year. He, um, he moved back to LA last week. Miley ... Nick's engaged," Joe said quietly, and Miley froze.

"He can't be back in LA! We can't move back now! NO! Abi, go play while I talk to Uncle Joe," Miley said, and Abigail jumped down from Miley's lap and ran into the living room. Miley turned back to Joe and said, "He was never supposed to find out about Abigail! Her surname's GRAY, Joe. If he meets her, he'll figure out that she's his! And as for his engagement ... it isn't me I'm worried about. It's Abi. If he finds out she's his, and wants to be in her life, I'll let him. But if his new girl thinks she can move in on my daughter and act like her mother, then she's got another thing coming!"

Joe smiled at Miley being overprotective of Abigail, and he looked at Miley and said, "Miley ... First of all, Mikayla HATES children, so she'll do the complete opposite of that. Nothing to worry about there. And secondly, Nick was always going to find out he had a child sooner or later. It just turns out it's sooner than we thought."

"I've spent the last 4 and a half years trying to hide the fact that he has a daughter from him. I haven't visited LA since I left. Everyone who wants to see Abi has had to come here instead. They have to have my name on their phones as 'Chloe' or 'Becca' or 'Rachel'. No one has been allowed to mention me or Abi while talking to or seeing Nick. I've tried so hard, and to think that it'll all be ruined within the next month ... it just makes me feel like all my hard work to keep where we are, and why I moved, a secret has gone to waste," Miley said, and her eyes filled with tears as she looked over to the sideboard and saw a framed picture of herself and Nick.

"Miley ... I have an idea. Where are you living when you move to LA?" Joe asked. "With my parents until Abi and I find my own place," Miley said, and Joe cursed under his breath and said, "So Nick will see Abi a lot. He's staying with our parents full-time, and Mikayla's staying at some fancy hotel her 'rich daddy', as she likes to call him, is paying for. Well ... if we tell Nick if he asks that Abi is Brandi's kid, then it'll all be fine, right?" Joe asked.

"Joe, Brandi's been home since I left! Nick would've known if she had been pregnant, dumbass!" Miley exclaimed, and Joe shook his head and smiled, and he said, "Maybe Brandi was home, but Nick's spent the past four years in New York. He wouldn't know whether she had been pregnant or not."

"I'm still not feeling it. Maybe we could tell him that my parents adopted her or something two years ago, because her dad left her and her mom died in a car accident," Miley said, and Joe nodded.

"That could work. He might believe that. Miles, that's genius!" Joe said, and Miley smiled and said, "Alright, well, Abi and I move back on Friday. We've got all her clothes and most of her toys packed, and we've got some of my clothes and stuff packed up. Do you mind taking one or two suitcases and leaving them at my parents' house?"

"Not at all, Miles. Here, give me the bags and I'll put them in the car. I have to get to the airport and fly back now. I'll see you on Friday, OK?" Joe said, and Miley rushed into the closet across the room and took out the cases, and she handed them to Joe.

"Yeah, I'll see you Friday. Thanks for taking the bags. And remember, don't say a WORD to Nick that I'm coming back, got it? ABI, UNCLE JOE'S LEAVING NOW! COME AND SAY GOODBYE!" Miley called, and Abigail ran in and hugged Joe's legs.

"Bye, Uncle Joey. See you on Friday," Abigail said, and Joe smiled at her. He put down the bags and he knelt down beside Abigail and kissed her forehead. He said to her, "See you in Los Angeles on Friday, kiddo. Miles, take care of yourself. And you, little miss, take care of your mother for all of us back in LA."

Abigail smiled and nodded, and she walked over to Miley. Miley lifted her up and walked to the front door with Joe. "Thanks, Joe. For telling me about Nick. I appreciate it. And for helping me with you-know-what," Miley said to Joe, not referring to the secret in front of Abigail.

"Anytime, Miley. Bye, Abi. Remember what I said. Look after your mom. Bye, Miley," Joe said. He slammed the trunk of his car shut, and he got into the front seat and quickly drove away so as not to miss his flight.

Miley carried Abigail into the kitchen and she sat Abigail down on the sideboard where all the pictures sat as she got herself a bottle of water. Abigail picked up the picture of Miley and Nick and looked down at it with confusion etched on her small face, and she wrinkled her small nose and looked at her mother.

"Mommy, who's this man in the picture beside you?" Abigail asked quietly, and Miley turned and walked over to the sideboard and looked down at the picture with tears in her eyes. She looked at Abigail and looked into her daughter's eyes. The eyes that had been passed down from her father.

"Sweetie, that man ... he's nobody. Just a friend of mine from high school. OK, baby girl?" Miley asked, and Abigail sat the picture down and looked at her mother, then back at the picture, and she said, "Mommy? Why does that man kiss your cheek in the picture?"

Miley looked at the picture and saw that it was the one where Nick was kissing her cheek, and she was smiling happily. It had been taken when they were 17. Miley sighed and looked at Abigail again.

"How about I tell you that when you're a little bit older?" she asked. She lifted Abigail down from the counter, and Abigail looked up at Miley again, and she asked, "Mommy? Did you love that man?"

"Yes, sweetie, I did. I loved him very, very much," Miley said. She looked at the picture one last time, and she looked back down at Abigail and said, "Let's get the rest of your stuff packed up for LA, huh?" Abigail nodded, and she ran upstairs. Miley looked at the picture again for a moment, and she sat it face down on the counter before walking up after Abigail.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Nick Gray walked into the Gray household and saw his mother baking cookies in the kitchen with his teenage brother, Frankie, and he sat down on a breakfast bar stool and looked at the happy expression on his mother's face.

"Mom? Why are you happy? And why are you making cookies? You only make cookies when something really good is about to happen. Aw, is it because of me and Mikayla's engagement?" Nick asked teasingly, and Mrs. Gray slapped her son's arm playfully as he stuck his finger into the bowl full of cookie dough and took a bit, and he put it in his mouth.

"Nicholas, if you must know, Mr. and Mrs. Stewart got some good news recently, and we made them some cookies. So don't touch," Mrs. Gray said and smiled as she put the batch into the oven and closed the door, and Nick looked down.

"Miley's parents got good news? What's up?" he asked sadly. Images of Miley's smiling face flashed through his mind, but he shook his head and tried to fill his mind with images of Mikayla. His fiance. The one he _loved. Oh, who am I kidding? I love _Miley, he thought. He had never fully gotten over Miley. He looked back up at Mrs. Gray and Frankie, who were whispering to each other.

"Mom? Frankie? What's the good news?" Nick asked, and Frankie turned to Nick and said, "Nothing you should worry about, dude. You haven't been here for four years. You wouldn't understand it."

"Right, I'm sure. Well, I'm going to visit Mikayla at her hotel. Frankie, she's been asking about your grades and stuff lately. What do you want me to tell her?" Nick asked and stood up, and Frankie looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Tell her that my grades are none of her business and that I want her to go back where she came from so you can get back together with Miley," Frankie said angrily, and Nick looked at Frankie as tears welled up in his eyes. Frankie knew how Nick felt about Miley.

"Well, Frankie, bad news. Miley isn't coming back, alright?! She left and she hates me, and she's never coming back! No matter how much we all want her here! I want her here to see me get married, but she won't, because NONE OF US KNOW WHERE SHE IS!" Nick yelled.

"YOU ALWAYS CLAIM TO STILL LOVE MILEY, RIGHT?! THEN WHY ARE YOU MARRYING MIKAYLA! I BELIEVE YOU PROMISED MILEY WHEN YOU TOLD HER YOU LOVED HER THAT_ SHE'D _ALWAYS BE THE ONE YOU MARRIED! WHEN THAT NICK COMES BACK, GIVE ME A CALL!" Frankie yelled, and he stormed upstairs.

"Franklin Nathaniel Gray, get back here now!" Mrs. Gray yelled, but Frankie simply turned his music up to full volume. Nick grabbed his car keys and stormed out of the house to see Joe walking up the driveway.

"Nick? What's wrong?" Joe asked, and Nick snapped, "Ask Frankie." Nick stormed towards his car, and he got in and sped off. Joe shook his head and glanced at Frankie's window. He could see the light on, and he could hear music blaring.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered and walked into the house.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

That Friday afternoon, Miley walked into the arrivals area of the airport with Abigail holding her hand, and she saw Lilly and Kevin and Joe waiting for her and Abigail. She picked Abigail up and rushed over and hugged her friends.

"Aunt Lilly! Uncle Joey! Uncle Kevy!" Abigail exclaimed and hugged them all. Miley smiled at them and pushed her trolley over closer and out of the way of the other passengers from Tennessee.

"Hey, guys," Miley said, and Lilly hugged her tightly and said, "I've missed you so much! Nick's been making me hang out with Mikayla since she 'has no friends here' but I heard her on the phone making plans for coffee with someone called Clarissa the other day."

"I've missed you too, Lils. I missed you, Kev," Miley said, and Kevin hugged her tightly and said, "I missed you too, Miles. I missed have my little sister around." Kevin smiled and pulled away from the hug, and Miley went over to Joe and hugged him.

"Thanks for taking those bags the other day," Miley said. "Any time. But we should let you know that you don't have to go into hiding for a few days. Nick had a huge fight with Frankie the other night and he's been staying with _her_ since," Joe said.

Abigail giggled and said, "Who's _her_?" Joe chuckled and took the trolley and began pushing it towards his car. Miley picked Abigail up, and she, Kevin and Lilly followed Joe towards the Range Rover across the parking lot.

"_Her _is the Wicked Witch of the West Coast, Abi, that has your mom's ... friend under her evil little spell," Joe said, and Abigail giggled and said, "There's no such thing as witches!" Miley smiled as they got into the car and Joe loaded the bags into the trunk.

"In Mikayla's case, Abs, there most definitely is," Kevin said, and Lilly laughed and helped Miley buckle Abigail into the car. When they were all in and had their seatbelts on, Joe drove to the Stewart house and pulled into the driveway.

Miley got out of the car and saw Mr. and Mrs. Stewart at the front door, waiting for her with Mr. and Mrs. Gray, and, of course, Frankie, and Miley's siblings, Brandi, Jackson and Noah.

"Miley! Abigail!" Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Stewart exclaimed at the same time, and they rushed over and hugged Miley and Abigail tightly.

"Oh, Miles, we missed you so much around the house. It felt so quiet and empty without you here. And as for Noah, Jackson and Brandi ... they missed their sister more than me and your father did! And we missed this little cutie here!" Mrs. Stewart said, and she looked at Abigail, who was being held by Mrs. Gray.

Mr. Gray's phone vibrated, and he looked at it quickly. He looked back up with shock on his face, and looked at the two families and yelled, "MILEY! ABIGAIL! GET IN THE HOUSE! NICK'S ON HIS WAY WITH MIKAYLA!"

Miley froze. Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Stewart grabbed Miley's hand quickly and pulled her into the house with Abigail, and Lilly rushed in after them with Noah and Brandi. They shut and locked the door behind them as Nick's car pulled into the Gray's driveway.

Nick and Mikayla got out of his car and walked over. "Hey, Mr. Stewart. Hey, Jackson. This is my fiance, Mikayla. Mikayla, these are my neighbours, Mr. Stewart and Jackson," Nick said, and Mikayla smiled falsely. Her eyes drifted over to Joe's open trunk, and she saw one of Abigail's toys.

"Joey! Why is there a toy for a kid in your car!" Mikayla whined in her screechy voice, and all the men around her winced as she walked over to the trunk and pulled out Abigail's favourite doll. Nick looked at his brother with a confused expression on his face.

"I was taking it to the ... homeless people shelter!" Joe exclaimed. Nick looked at Joe with raised eyebrows.

"Joe, you don't go to the homeless people's shelter. If you're donating, you get Kevin to do it for you. Now why do you _really _have a doll in your trunk?" Nick asked, and Joe sighed and looked at Kevin, then at the Stewarts' living room window, and he saw Lilly holding up a sign, telling him what to say.

"Um, OK. There's a new family down the street and Mom wanted me to buy a toy for them and she didn't want to tell you just to see how long it took you to notice," Joe read, and Nick and Mikayla looked at him, not believing a word of it.

Joe, Nick, Mikayla, Frankie, Kevin, Mr. Gray, Jackson, and Mr. Stewart heard a door slam shut, and they looked up to see Abigail standing on the porch of the house. She ran down, and saw Mikayla holding her toy. Mikayla screamed at the sight of a child.

"ABI, NO!" a voice yelled. Nick found the voice familiar. His eyes drifted from the little girl before him, and then up to the porch again, and his eyes met the eyes of the girl he had been longing to see for four and a half years.

"M-Miley?"

**A/N: Hey! Here's the new story! Hope you like it! Review and tell me if I should continue or not! Thanks. So review and I hope you enjoyed it. **

**Love, Charlotte xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am really sorry to say this, but I'm cancelling S. S. Rodriguez. I don't see the story going anywhere. I'm going to keep the story up, in case you want to re-read it, but I won't be updating again. I'm sorry. But it isn't really exciting. I prefer writing this story. I'm really sorry. Please don't be mad at me for it. I just don't enjoy writing that story. And isn't enjoying it what writing is all about? So I'm sorry but S. S. RODRIGUEZ IS CANCELLED!!! I am super sorry if you're mad at me, but it's my story. If anyone wants to continue it for me, then message me and I'll give you permission to take it.**

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 2.

"M-Miley?"

"Abi, get inside," Miley commanded. Abigail tried to grab the toy from Mikayla, but Mikayla dropped it on the floor and stamped on it. "Mikayla!" Nick barked, and Mikayla kicked the toy towards Abigail while smirking. Abigail had tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Abigail, sweetie, go inside. I'll be in in a minute," Miley said. Abigail picked up the remains of her toy and glared at Mikayla, but she followed her mother's orders and walked into the house. Miley walked over to Nick and Mikayla.

"Do you find it _funny _when a four year old cries because some _bitch_ just wrecked her favourite toy?!" Miley snapped. Nick was still in shock of seeing Miley as Mikayla spoke back with a cocky tone in her voice.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Mikayla asked. Nick snapped out of his daze and turned to Mikayla, and he said, "Mikayla, get into my parents' house. Now." Mikayla rolled her eyes and strutted towards the Gray house, and Nick turned back to Miley.

"Miley, what are you doing here? Who's that kid you were talking to? The one who was crying. Who is she? What happened to you? Where'd you go when you left?" he asked quietly, but Miley ignored him and started walking back into the house.

"Miley, I think you should tell him," Mr. Stewart said quietly, and Miley turned around and glared at Nick as she spoke. "You want to know the answers to those questions? Well, I'll tell you, shall I? When you dumped me, you left me PREGNANT, Nick! So I ditched Princeton and moved back to Tennessee to raise _our _child! Her name's Abigail. And after the way your little slut just ruined my daughter's favourite toy, I don't want you _anywhere_ near Abigail, got that?"

She shook her head at Nick and started walking back up the steps, but Nick grabbed her arm and turned her around. She could tell from his expression that he was angry, and for a lot of reasons, but Miley didn't care. She snatched her arm back and glared at him.

"You were pregnant and you didn't bother to tell me?! I was a _father_ and you didn't bother to tell me! Miley, I have a_ daughter_ I never even knew about! You just ran away like a coward, back to your precious little Tennessee!" Nick yelled angrily, and Miley felt her eyes fill with tears.

"It isn't like you would've stuck around! Knowing you, you would've jumped at the first chance you got to leave me with Abi! I raised a child on my own on a farm in Tennessee. So far, she's been happy. She's had a good childhood without you so far. She doesn't need you to come and ruin her life, just like you did to mine!" Miley yelled.

She stormed back up the porch steps and she opened the front door, and she slammed it behind her, creating a loud **BANG.**

Nick stood in the middle of the Stewart family's driveway, frozen to the spot at Miley's words. He was a father. He had a daughter. Miley and his child had been in Tennessee all along. His daughter was called Abigail. She had had a good childhood so far. He sighed and looked around to see everyone staring at him.

"Tell Miley I need to talk to her," he grumbled, and he stormed into his parents' house and Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Stewart, Lilly, Brandi, and Noah all walked out. Noah was carrying Abigail in her arms, and she looked around up at her family with a tearstained face.

"Who was that lady who stomped on my dolly? Why was the man in Mommy's picture here? Why was Mommy crying and yelling?" Abigail sniffled, and Noah kissed her forehead and looked at the rest of the two families.

"Abs, honey, that was Mikayla. And the man in your mom's picture was here to see us. He and your mom don't agree on a few things, so they had a bit of a fight," Kevin said to her, and Abigail glanced up at the Gray house and then she jumped down from Noah's arms and ran into the house and up to Miley's room.

She opened the door and saw Miley sobbing on the bed, and she climbed up and sat down beside Miley, and she said, "Mommy, who was that man that was in your picture? Why was he yelling at you? Why were you yelling about me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, baby, you did nothing wrong. That man ... he was no one. Him and I ... don't agree on some things, sweetie. He wanted to know who you were, that was all, and I didn't want to tell him," Miley said, and she wiped her tears and sat up. She pulled Abigail onto her lap.

"I love you, Mommy," Abigail whispered, and she snuggled into her mother's chest, and Miley smiled.

"I love you too, baby," she said, and they soon fell asleep on Miley's bed together.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Nick stormed into the Gray house and slammed the door, and Mikayla rushed out and wrapped her arms around him.

"Nicky, who was that little brat?!" she whined, and Nick winced and pushed her away angrily.

"Don't call her a brat!" he snapped, and he started walking upstairs, but Mikayla grabbed his arm and turned him to look at her.

"Why, Nicky? It's not like she's anyone special!" Mikayla said with a light smirk and a giggle, and Nick shook his head and snatched his arm back.

"That girl, Mikayla, that girl is my _daughter._ _Mine_. Alright? So you either buy her a new doll to make up for it or the wedding's off," Nick said, and he stormed upstairs angrily as Mikayla stood in shock in the middle of the hall, and the door slammed and she turned to see the rest of the Grays.

"Where's Nicholas? That boy's in big trouble," Mr. Gray mumbled and started walking upstairs.

"Mrs. Gray, how come Nick never knew that he had a daughter?" Mikayla whined. Mrs. Gray winced and turned to look at Mikayla, and she said, "Nick had just broken up with Miley, and they had lost their virginity to each other a month before the split. Nick broke up with her one morning, saying he was too young. That afternoon, Miley found out she was pregnant. So a week later, after graduation, she packed up and moved back to her home state of Tennessee, where she had the baby and didn't tell Nick so he could focus on moving on and getting over her, and growing old with someone else. Looks like her plan didn't go too well," Mrs. Gray said, whispering the last sentence.

Frankie walked past and glared at Mikayla before running up the stairs to his room. Mikayla winced at the sight of the teenager and walked into the kitchen after Mr. and Mrs. Gray. "But why didn't she tell him?" she whined.

"Mikayla, if you want to know so many questions, you shouldn't be asking us. You should be asking Nick or Miley. Because it isn't any of our business. Come to think of it, it isn't any of your business either," Mr. Gray said.

Joe and Kevin walked in, leaning against the counter as Mikayla spoke harshly. "It is most definitely my business, Mr. Gray. Because when I marry your son, that little brat will be my stepdaughter – unfortunately. So I have to know these things so as I can comfort Nick."

"Psh. You? Comfort Nick? You couldn't comfort a cactus," Joe said. Kevin laughed and high-fived Joe. Mikayla glared at Joe as Nick walked into the room and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. When he grabbed it, he started to walk away again, but Mikayla stopped him and ran in front of his path to stop him from walking away.

"Nicky, can we talk?" she asked sweetly. Nick sighed and glanced at his family. He knew they all hated Mikayla's guts, but he couldn't help it. He had already asked her to marry him. And he was fine with it. Until Miley came back again.

"Uh, sure," he said, and walked out into the backyard with her. He sat on the bench at the bottom of the yard and she sat beside him. "What's up, Mikayla?" Mikayla looked at Nick and sighed. She knew that he wanted Miley again. And that was why she had to do everything in her power to make herself good enough for him again.

"Nick, I have some questions. Why didn't you know about the br – I mean, the girl? Why didn't she tell you? Why did you dump her? Why didn't you go after her? Why did you look at them the way you did? How did you meet the mother of the girl before?" she asked. Nick looked down awkwardly and stayed silent for a few moments. And then, the story poured from his lips.

"I'd known her for years. Since she moved next door to me from Tennessee. We started dating when we were young. She was my high school sweetheart. I loved her. But then it got too much after we slept together. All we did was either have sex or fight. It was all we ever did. And I think one night, I forgot a condom or something. The morning I dumped her, she looked like her world had just fallen apart. I felt so guilty. But I didn't want to fight with her all the time. No matter how much I loved her. So I ended it. And then, I saw her at graduation. She looked ... beautiful. I don't know what it was, but I couldn't keep my eyes off her the whole time. And then, the next day, I went to her house to ask her to take me back. But her dad said she'd left. For good. My world fell apart. I moved to New York to try and get her off my mind. I dated loads of girls, but none of them matched up to her. So I stopped dating for a year. And then I met you. And I liked you, so I asked you out. I don't know why Miley never told me about our kid. But I wish she had. I looked at them like I look at Lilly, Mikayla. I didn't look at them any differently. All feelings for Miley left when I met you. But my daughter ... I want to be in her life. I didn't get to be in it for years now. I want to be in it now."

Nick knew he was lying to himself by telling himself he loved Mikayla. He knew he didn't. But he had to lie to himself. Because otherwise, he would believe that he loved Miley. He knew he did, but he didn't want to believe it.

"But being in that child's life means being in your ex-girlfriend's life."

Nick's thought were brought to a halt when Mikayla spoke and told him the bad news about being involved in his daughter's life. Nick sighed and looked at Mikayla. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was frightened. Frightened of losing him. Frightened of having to move back to New York alone while Nick moved in with Abigail and Miley.

"It's a risk I'll take. I never got to be with my child. I missed her baby years. I missed learning to walk. Learning to talk. As disgusting as it is, I missed potty training. I missed a lot, Mikayla. I don't want to miss anymore. I want to see her when she has her first day of school. I want to be there when she learns to ride a bike. I want to be there when she gets her first boyfriend, just so I can threaten him. I want to be there for her," Nick explained.

Mikayla sighed and looked into Nick's eyes. She saw the emotion and the care in them and she looked at his body. He was tense. "We could have our own children. We don't need the one from your past," she said.

"Maybe _you_ don't need the child from my past, but I do. Yeah, sure we can have our own kids. But i want the one that was my first as well. What kind of father would I be if I found out about the child and abandoned her?" Nick asked.

Mikayla shrugged. She didn't really care about his child. She wanted him. And only him. Not his baggage. "Maybe we could start with our own kids now," she said huskily in his ear and climbed onto his lap, straddling him. She pulled her top off and Nick saw a lacy red bra. He gulped.

"Mikayla, maybe now isn't exactly the time. And not the place either. My parents and brothers are inside, and my ex-girlfriend and daughter are next door. I don't want them to see," he said quietly. Mikayla pulled off her bra and pants and started kissing his neck, placing his hands on her breasts.

"What, don't you want me?" she whispered in his ear. Nick gulped and closed his eyes, facing up into the branches of large oak tree beside the bench. "Mikayla, I'm serious," he murmured as she pulled off her thong and threw it across the yard. She stood up, and Nick opened his eyes to see her naked in front of him.

"I'm right here, Nick. Why don't you just let your want take over your body? You can have me," she said sexily. Nick shook his head and stood up. "Not here, and not now, Mikayla," Nick said. He took his keys out of his pocket and started walking out front, but she grabbed his arm and pressed her naked body against him.

"C'mon, Nicky. You can have me. You can go as hard and as fast as you want. You can do what you want with me. I'm right here. And nothing's hotter than a guy who doesn't care who's watching when he has sex," Mikayla said.

"Well, I guess I'm not hot then, am I?" Nick growled, and he stormed away. Mikayla stumbled onto the ground and watched him walk away. "WHAT, AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH?!" she yelled after him. Nick ignored her and got into his car before speeding down the street and onto the freeway. He didn't know where he was going. He just wanted to drive away from all his problems.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Miley woke up and saw Abigail curled up in a ball beside her on the bed. She smiled and kissed Abigail's head, and she whispered softly, "I love you, baby girl." She sat up and crept out of the room so as not to wake Abigail. She walked downstairs and saw Noah, Mr. Stewart, and Jackson all watching the news, and Mrs. Stewart was making dinner.

"Hey, guys. What happened when I went to sleep?" Miley asked cheerfully, and she sat down beside Jackson, who was staring at a text on his phone in shock. "Jackson? What's wrong?" she asked. She snatched the phone and froze when she read it.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! WHY DOES THIS TEXT SAY THAT JOE CAN'T FIND NICK?!" she yelled. Mrs. Stewart rushed over and wrapped her arms around Miley in a tight hug, and she said, "Miles, calm down. Nick and Mikayla had a slight fight and Nick drove off."

"Joe just doesn't know where he is, that's all, Mile," Mr. Stewart said comfortingly. Miley shook her head. "I wish I hadn't come home now. I should have just stayed in Tennessee with Abi. If we had stayed there, none of this would be happening to me," Miley whispered to herself.

"Mile, that is not true! I'm _glad_ you came here with Abigail! If you hadn't the rest of us would be miserable from missing you. And Nick ... Joe and Kevin said he hasn't been the same since you and him broke up. He doesn't have the twinkle in his eyes anymore. They think Mikayla's just a distraction," Noah said.

"I can't do this, you guys. I think me and Abi should just move back to the farm for a while so I can think things through. I don't know," Miley said. Mr. Stewart wrapped an arm around her whilst Mrs. Stewart had an arm around her on the other side.

"Miley, we'll always be here for you. You know we will. Don't forget that. We love you. But you can't leave. We love having you here. And Joe ... Joe missed you. And you just got that new job. You have to meet with your first clients tomorrow. You can't just bail on them. Those clients are relying on you, sweetie," Mrs. Stewart said.

"I guess you're right. But I can't watch Nick get married to another girl. It tears me up inside just to see him. He broke my heart. Watching him get married would be pure torture. I just can't do it, guys," Miley said.

"Maybe you won't have to," Jackson said. Secretly, he was hoping and praying that Nick would change his mind about Mikayla and go back to Miley and his daughter. He hated seeing them all so depressed. And he didn't want that anymore.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

The next morning, Miley slipped on a pair of brown knee length linen shorts and a white cami, with a long brown cardigan over it. She slipped on a pair of brown flats and straightened her hair. She quickly applied some make-up and grabbed her brown leather Prada purse. She had her BlackBerry, her wallet, her keys, her planner, her iPod and her lip gloss in there.

Abigail ran in and sat down on the bed beside her mother. "Mommy, when will you be home?" she asked. Miley smiled and pulled Abigail onto her lap. She looked down at the beautiful little girl and said, "I'll be back by dinner. I promise. Be good for Uncle Joe and Aunt Lilly, OK?"

Abigail nodded and hugged Miley tightly. Miley smiled and hugged Abigail back. "I love you, sweetheart. I'll see you when I get back," she whispered. Abigail jumped down and ran into the living room, where Joe and Lilly were watching TV. They were going to watch Abigail while Miley met with her clients. Miley walked down to the living room and kissed Abigail's head.

"I'll be back by dinner. Thank you so much for watching her. There's food in the fridge for her if she gets hungry, the doctor's number's on the fridge with mine. Call me if you need anything. Bye, guys," Miley said, and she rushed out the door in a hurry.

"Do you know who her clients are?" Lilly asked Joe as Abigail played with a Barbie doll on the coffee table. "Yup. And she isn't going to like it," Joe said and picked Abigail up onto his lap.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Miley walked into her large office at the top of a tall building and sat down behind the desk. She smiled and looked out over the L.A. skyline. She heard the door close and turned to see a young girl, no older than 18, and a woman no younger than 30.

"Hello, you must be Miley. I'm Alexis, your boss, and this is your new assistant, Beth. Beth will run your errands for you, get you coffee, take messages for you, things like that. Now, I understand that your first clients will be here in a few moments?" the older woman asked.

"Nice to meet you. Yes, they're supposed to be here in about 5 minutes," Miley said and smiled. Alexis smiled back and said, "Alright. Good luck. Beth will show you around the offices after the appointment." Alexis walked out of the room, and Beth smiled weakly at Miley.

"Hey, I'm Miley," Miley said and smiled. "Hello, Miss. Stewart. I'm Beth," Beth said quietly. "You can call me Miley. Is it good here?" Miley asked, looking around the room. Beth nodded and smiled. "Best job in the world. Everyone in the office is friends," she said. Miley smiled.

There was a distant knock. Beth's office was just outside Miley's, where the main door to Miley's office was, and where Miley's clients came through. "I better get that," Beth said, and rushed out. A few seconds later, she opened the door to Miley's office, and two people wearing sunglasses walked into the office.

"Miley, these are your clients. Nick Gray and Mikayla Russo," Beth said. Miley's body froze, and she looked up from her computer to see Nick take off his sunglasses and stare at Miley with a shocked expression.

"Miley? _You're_ the wedding planner?"

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave nice long reviews :) They make me feel good. The next chapter out will be out soon. **


	3. Chapter 3

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 3.

Miley gulped and looked at Nick. He was staring at her in shock. Beth looked between them, confused. Mikayla glared at Miley. Miley simply stared back at Nick. Suddenly, she broke the gaze and leaned back in her chair.

"Beth, can you get Alexis? I can't do this wedding," Miley said quietly and typed something into her computer. Nick walked over to the desk and hissed, "Don't do this for me. You think I want my ex-girlfriend as my wedding planner? Having you as the planner costs a lot of money, you know. _My_ money. The money that Mikayla is wasting when we could easily plan it ourselves. So do it to make her happy, now me."

Miley smirked. "You think I want to do this for your slut? I'll do it for the money. Oh, and by the way, I saw your slut practically giving you a lap dance in your backyard yesterday. You're so lucky Abi wasn't out with me."

Nick blushed and looked at Mikayla, who smile falsely at Miley and walked over. She shook Miley's hand and turned to Beth. "Um, you can run along now," she said cockily. "I'd prefer if you didn't speak to my assistant that way, Miss. Russo," Miley said coldly. Nick gave Miley a 'be nice' look. Miley rolled her eyes and turned to Beth.

"Beth, sweetie, can you get us some coffee?" Miley asked. Beth smiled at her and nodded before walking quickly out into her own office to get the coffee. Miley turned to Mikayla and Nick. "You can sit, you know. I didn't put snakes on your seats or anything." Mikayla and Nick sat down in the chairs in front of the desk and looked at Miley.

"Any ideas you would like me to know about before we start planning this ... wedding?" Miley asked through gritted teeth. Mikayla nodded and smiled mockingly at Miley. "Nicky had the idea of getting married on the beach," she said. Miley looked up at Nick with cold eyes.

"Will you excuse me?" she said quietly. She stood up and walked out of the office. "Miley, wait!" Nick called and got up to go after her, but Mikayla stopped him. "I thought you didn't have feelings for her anymore?!" she snapped. "I don't. But do you think I want to see her upset?" Nick lied. He pushed past and walked after Miley, who was sitting on the steps at the fire exit. He sat beside her.

"Mile, I'm sorry," he whispered. Miley turned to him and slapped him. "You promised you'd marry _me_. You promised _me_ you'd marry_ me_ on the beach. Not_ her_. You broke all the promises you ever made me," she said coldly and stood up.

"Miley, I ... I didn't mean for you to get upset. Just, I knew Mikayla wanted something really romantic and then I was talking to myself in my sleep about all the things we said we would do for _our _wedding, and Mikayla heard and took it as a suggestion. I'd never want to hurt you," Nick said, whispering the last sentence.

"You hurt me when you dumped me. You hurt me when you got engaged. You hurt me when I lost my virginity to you. You hurt me when I saw you for the first time in four years. And you know what hurts the most? When I look at our daughter, and I see you staring back at me. I've never felt a pain like that until Abigail was born," Miley said coldly. She opened the door to go back inside, but Nick pulled her back.

"Speaking of Abigail ... I was wondering if maybe I could be in her life? I want to be the father I never got the chance to be before," Nick said. Miley looked into his eyes and saw a sense of begging – pleading her to allow him into their daughter's life.

"I thought I made it clear yesterday that I didn't want you involved as long as that ... skank was involved with you," Miley whispered. Nick looked at Miley and saw her eyes well with tears at the thought of Nick with Mikayla. He felt guilty, but he pushed the feeling to the back of his head and sighed.

"Mikayla has nothing to do with our daughter, Miley. It's between you and me. Mikayla doesn't have to have anything to do with the matter. We both know that. I'll buy Abigail a new doll if it makes it any better. Please, Miley. I need this. Mikayla offered me the chance to have our own kids and forget about Abigail, but now I know about her, I can't do that. I can't get her face out of my mind. And those eyes ... those eyes, Miley. She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. Besides her mother, of course," Nick said.

Miley blushed at the last sentence and looked down. "I'll tell you what. How about you come over tonight, and I'll introduce you to Abi. If she likes you, then you can be involved. If she doesn't, then you can't see her. Deal?" she asked.

Nick nodded and hugged Miley. "Thank you so much, Miley. You won't regret this, I promise." Miley pulled away from the hug and smiled. "I know I won't," she said, and walked back into the building – back to Mikayla.

Nick smiled and walked into the building after her.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Miley walked into the house, and Abigail jumped into her arms as soon as she closed the door. "Hey, Abs. How was your day?" Miley asked. Abigail smiled and said, "Uncle Joe and Aunt Lilly took me to the park and Uncle Joe pushed me on the swings! Mommy, it was so much fun!" Miley smiled and carried Abigail into the living room, where Joe and Lilly were talking to Noah and Jackson.

"I'm glad to hear you had a good day, baby girl. Thanks for watching her for me, guys. Um, _he's_ coming over. He wants to be in her life, so I'm going to see if she likes him first and then we'll go from there," Miley said quietly, referring to Nick.

"When?" Noah asked, obviously shocked. "About an hour," Miley replied and sat on the couch, pulling Abigail onto her lap. "Mommy, who are you talking about?" Abigail asked. "No one, Abi," Miley said quietly. "C'mon, little monster. I'll take you outside," Joe said. He picked Abigail up and walked outside with her while she giggled.

Miley laid her head onto the back of the couch and closed her eyes. "Am I doing the right thing by letting Nick meet Abi? What if she doesn't like him, or if he doesn't like her? Oh, dear God. This won't go well!"

"Mile, calm down. Nick will adore Abi. He doesn't even know her, and he looks at her as if she's an angel. She's the most beautiful and bright child I've met in my life. Miley, Abi will love Nick as well. He's the missing piece in her life, and vice versa," Lilly said and wrapped an arm around Miley. Noah sat down on Miley's other side, and Jackson sat opposite them.

"They'll love each other," Jackson said.

"I sure hope so," Miley whispered and looked at the clock. 50 minutes to go. 50 minutes until Abigail's future, as well as her own, was decided.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

By the time Nick arrived, the only people left in the Stewart household were Abigail and Miley. Miley let Nick in, and looked at him. "Nick, can I ask you a question?" she asked. When he nodded, she continued. "Jackson said you were missing last night. Where did you go?" she whispered.

"I ... You were on my mind, Miley. So I went to our beach. I looked at the ocean, and in the sunset, all I could picture in my head were you and Abigail. Mikayla and my brothers and family didn't even cross my mind. All I could vision was you standing in front of the sunset with Abigail beside you. I thought I was going crazy. And then I blinked, and you both disappeared. Sounds like senior year, huh? I blink, and you're gone," Nick said sadly.

Miley looked down. "Leaving after graduation was never supposed to hurt you. I thought it was what was best for you," she whispered, and looked up at Nick with teary eyes. Nick looked down at her and said, "Funny, huh? The day I go to win you back, you leave for Tennessee with our baby inside you, without letting me know. I thought ... I thought I had the chance of getting you back, but I was wrong, huh?" He chuckled to himself and looked down awkwardly.

Miley wiped a tear that had fallen and looked at the living room door. "Um, are you ready to meet Abi? She's ready for bed. She has to go to sleep soon," she said. Nick nodded, and Miley led him into the living room, where he saw Abigail playing with her Barbie doll. He smiled.

"Th-That's her? That's Abigail?" he whispered. Miley smiled and nodded. She led him over to the couch and sat down. Abigail was at her knees, beside the coffee table, giggling. Miley motioned for Nick to sit down, and she lifted Abigail up.

"Abi, this is the man I wanted you to meet. This ... This is Nick," Miley said and smiled. Abigail stared at Nick. Nick smiled and felt the tears come to the backs of his eyes as he stared at her. He looked between Abigail and Miley and saw the resemblance.

"Hi," Abigail said quietly, and smiled at Nick. "Abi, sweetie. Nick is your ... dad," Miley said, choking the words out as tears came to her eyes. She watched Abigail's eyes water as she stared at Nick. "Y-You're my daddy?" she stuttered. Nick nodded as tears came to his own eyes again.

Abigail crawled onto Nick's lap and hugged him tightly. Nick smiled and hugged her back as tears began to fall. He took in her scent. She smelled like her mother did in high school, and what her mother probably still smelt like. Abigail's tears landed on Nick's shirt as she pulled away and crawled back to Miley.

"Why did you never come and see me?" Abigail asked as Miley wiped away her tears. Nick looked at Miley, who shook her head, telling him not to tell her the whole story. "Um, Abigail, I never really had the time before, nor the money to fly down to Tennessee," Nick lied. Miley smiled at him as Abigail crawled back to him and hugged him tighter than before.

"I love you, Daddy," she whispered. Nick smiled and whispered, "I love you too, Abigail."

"Um, Nick, if you want, you can call her Abi," Miley said quietly and wiped away her own tears. Nick smiled and mouthed to Miley, "Thank you." She smiled and nodded, and walked into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.

"Daddy, will you be around now?" Abigail asked, pulling away from the hug. Nick smiled. "I hope so, sweetie. I really hope so."

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

The next day, Miley walked into her office and smiled at Beth before sitting behind her desk. Beth rushed in and handed Miley a pile of envelopes. "There's your mail. And Alexis called. She wants you to go with Mikayla today to go and check out the beach. And also, Mikayla's dress fitters called. They organised an appointment for her for next Friday," Beth said.

"Thank you. Um, is Alexis in today?" Miley asked, and Beth nodded. "Could you call her office and ask her if she minds if I come and talk to her about something?" Miley continued. "Of course, Miley," Beth said and smiled before walking to her own desk.

Miley stood up from her chair and walked over to glass wall which was the window, and she looked down at the cars and people below. She looked out at the park and smiled. She saw Joe, Nick, Kevin and Abigail all at the swings, with Nick pushing her with a huge grin on his face.

She was surprised she could see it from the far up the building - on the fifteenth floor. She smiled at the sight and heard footsteps behind her. She spun around to see Beth walk in. "Alexis said to go up now, and to hurry. She has a meeting in 15 minutes." Beth smiled at Miley and walked out to her desk.

Miley took a deep breath and left her office. She knew she would regret doing this, but she had to, or else her heart would break even more. She walked up the corridor and knocked on the door of Alexis' office. The door opened, and Miley saw Alexis' secretary, Laura. Laura smiled and led Miley through her office and into Alexis's office.

Alexis smiled at Miley, and Laura walked out to her desk. "Good morning, Miley. What can I do for you this morning?" she asked. Miley sat down at the chair in front of the desk and sighed. "Alexis, I don't think I can do the Russo/Gray wedding. I have a history with the groom, and I just can't watch him marry another girl," Miley said quietly.

"Miley, this is your job. Your personal life has nothing to do with it. This wedding will earn the company a lot of money. We need you to do this for us. If you don't, then we'll _lose_ that large sum of money. Miley, push your personal interests aside and work for that money. Do this wedding, and I'll promote you and give you a raise," Alexis said and smiled.

"I don't know if I can do that, Alexis," Miley whispered. Alexis' smile faded.

"Well, Miley. It looks like you're going to have to live with the pain, then. You're doing this wedding, and that's final."

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Miley walked onto the beach where she had arranged to meet Mikayla. The beach where Nick and Mikayla would be married on in a few months. Miley frowned and pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind as Mikayla walked over.

"Hey, Miley. What do you think?" Mikayla asked and smiled falsely. "I think it's beautiful. Nick will really like it," Miley said and looked at the orange skies as the sun began to set. The sun and sky reflected off the water, turning it into a gorgeous colour.

Nick's car pulled up beside Miley's, and he got out with Abigail in his arms. "Hey, Miley. Hey, Kayla," Nick said, and he kissed Mikayla's cheek. Abigail jumped down from his arms and hid behind Miley's legs. Mikayla tensed up at the sight of Abigail.

"Abi, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Miley asked, bending down to Abigail's level. Abigail glanced at Mikayla over Miley's shoulder and buried her face into Miley's neck. "Abi? Baby girl, you have to tell me what's wrong," Miley said.

"Uncle Kevvy's Witch of the West Coast is here," Abigail moaned. Nick tried to hold in his laughter, and Miley looked down to hide the smile on her face. But Mikayla didn't find it so funny. Her body tensed up even more. "I think that I've seen all I need to see," she growled, and stormed to her car and sped off.

Miley burst out laughing as Abigail smiled and hugged Nick's legs. Nick chuckled and picked her up. "Hey, there, princess," he said and kissed her forehead.

"Daddy, why are you marrying the Wicked Witch of the West Coast?" Abigail asked.

"I don't even know," Nick murmured to himself.

**A/N: So, hope you liked Chapter 3 :) REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK :D Happy birthday to my real life BFF, Demi :) ILY, Demmerz. You're the best friend anyone could ask for and you've been there for me through everything so I thank you for that.. ily bbz xoxo **

**Charlotte**

**xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm on a roll today! 4 chapters in less than 24 hours!**

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 4.

The next morning, Miley walked into her office and sat down at her desk, just like she had the previous morning. There was a small pile of mail on one side of her desk. But on her lamp, there was a note with the name '_Miley_' written in neat cursive. It had been taped onto the lampshade. She pulled it down and began to read.

_Dear Miley,_

_I know that the last time I dated you, you hadn't dated Nick. And I know it's been years since we last spoke. But I miss you, Miles. I think of you every day. I heard you have a daughter. I'm sure she's just as beautiful as her mother. Do you think maybe we could give us another shot? Call me when you get this._

_Love, Jake Ryan_

Miley stared at the letter. It was true. She and Jake had dated before Miley had met Nick. What was holding her back from seeing Jake again? Sure, maybe she still loved Nick, but she couldn't do anything about that. He was marrying another girl. A girl that was far from her. What could she do? The only answer was to get over him. As quickly and as pain-free as possible.

Miley picked up her planner and looked through the contacts. She still had all her high school contacts in there. She hoped that Jake's number was still the same. She dialled the number into her BlackBerry and waited as the line rang. After 3 rings, Jake picked up.

"Hello?" he asked. "Jake, it's Miley. I got your note. Maybe ... maybe we could give us another shot. There's nothing to hold me back now," Miley said. She looked around the room and noticed that the sun was glaring down into the office.

"That's great, Miles!" Jake said excitedly.

"Yeah, I know. I just have a question. Do you like kids? Because if you don't, we can't get back together," Miley said. She couldn't believe she was agreeing to date _Jake Ryan_ again, after everything he put her through.

"I love them. I heard you had a kid. I heard it was a little girl. Abigail, right? Joe said she was four, I think? And that she was Nick's," Jake said. He said the last sentence cautiously, so as not to upset Miley. Miley took a deep breath and spoke.

"Yeah. Even though Nick and I are over, and he's getting married, he's going to be in Abi's life. But enough about that. How about we meet up at lunch today? That is, if you don't have any plans?" Miley asked.

"No, I'm free all day, actually. My boss gave me the day off. I'll meet you at that cafe downtown we just to go to. Just us, no distractions. Text me when you're about to leave and then I'll go and get us a booth. Just like the old days," Jake said.

"Yeah. Just like the old days. Bye, Jake," Miley said. She hung up and buried her head in her hands. What was she doing?

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Nick woke up on the couch and groaned. He remembered the night before, when Mikayla had started yelling at him about getting 'too close to Miley again', and had made him sleep on the couch in _his_ parents' house, while she slept in the bed he had slept in for years, and the bed he had lost his virginity in. He rolled off the couch and sat up.

Joe walked into the room in a pair of jeans, Vans, and a white v-neck t-shirt, and he looked at Nick. "Bro, you look terrible," he commented. "Gee, thanks, Joe," Nick said sarcastically and stretched. "What happened? Why aren't you in your bed?" Joe asked. "Mikayla told me I was getting too close to Miley again by even talking to her so she made me sleep on the couch and slept in my bed instead," Nick explained.

"Wait, isn't that the bed where Abigail -" Joe began, but Nick cut him off. "Yes, Joe. That's where Abigail came from," he said and rolled his eyes. "Ew, that's disgusting, man. I've sat on that bed, you know!" Joe complained.

"My bed," Nick said and shrugged as he sat up. Mikayla came down the stairs in a mini shirt and a tank top with a bright pink velvet blazer over it **(A/N: I don't like the sound of that outfit, so I put it in Mikayla :P)** and walked past the brothers and into the kitchen, not acknowledging them at all.

"You know, Mikayla, this is our house. Why don't you just go stay at your dad's hotel or something?" Joe called into the kitchen as he and Nick walked in. They saw Mikayla look at something in her pocket and turn to them.

"Because it's closing for renovation. And I have nowhere else to go. What, do you want me on the streets or something?" Mikayla asked and took a drink of water. "That would be a much happier option for us all," Joe muttered. Nick kicked him and said, "Joe, I would like a private word with Mikayla, please."

Joe left the room, leaving Nick and Mikayla alone in the kitchen. "Kayla, I don't think you should stay here anymore. Why don't you go and stay at the Hilton or the Four Seasons or something? I don't think it's the best for Abigail if you're here. You aren't exactly her favourite person," Nick said. Mikayla's eyes widened.

"Oh, so you're picking your brat over your fiance now, huh?!" she yelled and threw her glass at him. He dodged, and it went flying into the wall as she continued screaming at him. "EVER SINCE YOU TOOK ME HERE TO L.A. WITH YOU, IT'S BEEN ALL ABOUT YOUR SICK LITTLE LOVE CHILD! WELL, HERE'S YOUR CHOICE! IT'S THE BRAT OR ME! YOU HAVE UNTIL TOMORROW TO DECIDE!" she screamed. She grabbed her purse and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

"I choose Abigail," Nick muttered to himself and started cleaning up the broken glass. Kevin and Jackson came in and sat at the breakfast bar as Nick stood up to face them. "Hey, Nick. What's up?" Jackson asked.

"Mikayla thinks I'm getting too close to Miley, she made me sleep on the couch last night, she's making me choose between her or Abigail, and she's being a complete bitch," Nick said and leaned against the counter.

"Nick, do you realise how _crazy_ that girl is?!" Kevin exclaimed and took a sip of water.

"I think I just realised," Nick said and sighed.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Miley walked into the cafe and walked over to the booth where she saw Jake sitting. She slipped into the other side of the booth and smiled at Jake. "Hey. It's been a while, huh?" she asked. Jake smiled back and nodded.

"I've missed you, Miles," he said. "Yeah, I missed you too. What are you doing with your life now?" she asked. Jake shrugged. "I live in a house on my own. It's too big for me, to be honest, but I love it. I'm a lawyer. What about you, Miss. Miley? Did you follow your dreams?" Jake asked.

Miley sighed. "Getting pregnant with Nick Gray's child wasn't exactly a good way to start of my dreams. I had to bail on Princeton. I moved back to Tennessee and became a wedding planner. And then my dad found me a good job as a wedding planner back here in L.A, so I took Abigail with me and we moved back here," she said.

"Abigail must be a pretty beautiful child if she has you as a mother and Nick as a father," Jake said. Miley blushed and looked down. "Nick thinks she looks like me, but I think she looks like him. We can't agree," she said.

"How's Nick doing? I haven't talked to him since he left for New York," Jake said. Miley smiled. "He's good, I think. He's getting married soon. I'm planning the wedding. He's getting involved with Abigail. She loves him to pieces. He pursued his music dreams, and he's a producer now," Miley replied.

"I need to tell you something about when you left, Miley. Nick was in pieces. He had gone to get you back, and your dad told him you'd gone. Nick had no clue where. All your stuff was gone. There was no trace that you had ever been there. It was like you had disappeared or something. Joe and Kevin and Lilly said they had been in touch with you, but that I wasn't to tell Nick. They told me about Abigail. Nick knew something was up with us all though. We didn't know what to tell him. What were we to say? 'Sorry, but your ex-girlfriend moved back to Tennessee to have your child'? That would have been awkward. Miley, I don't think he ever got over you. And I don't think you're over him. So why are you giving you and me another chance?" Jake asked.

"I-I don't know. I guess there isn't a point in going after Nick anymore, when he's dating Mikayla. He's marrying her in a few months, Jake. I need to move on. And you're a great guy – as great as I'm going to get. I think you could be good for me, Jake. Nick ... Nick is the one guy I can't have, and it kills me. But I know that it is best to move on," Miley said. Jake scoffed.

"Miley, who are you trying to kid? You can't move on. It's you and Nick. He doesn't feel the same way about Mikayla as he feels about you. He's still in love with you. Joe said he wrote tons of songs when he was trying to get over you. All about being still in love with a girl that you know you can't have," Jake said.

"What am I supposed to do, Jake? Tear his relationship apart? No thanks," Miley said and folded her arms as the waiter brought over their coffees. Jake shook his head and said, "No. You don't have to tear his relationship apart. He can do that himself. You just need to give him a little push."

"What do you mean, 'a little push'?" Miley asked. Jake smiled and said, "We all know that when Nick Gray gets jealous, he lets all his emotions pour out of him and into everything he has. He tells random people his emotions. It slips out. Make him jealous and you'll be back in his arms in no time at all," Jake said.

Miley smiled. "I like it. But who would help me?" she asked. "I think you're looking at the guy," Jake said and smiled back at her.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

That night, Abigail was staying with Miley's grandmother, while Miley, Jake, Nick, Mikayla, Joe, Lilly, Kevin, Mr and Mrs. Gray, and Mr. and Mrs. Stewart all went out to dinner at Miley's favourite restaurant as a sort of welcome home dinner for Miley.

Miley and Jake walked into the restaurant arm in arm, and when Nick saw, he felt a sharp pain in the pit of his stomach, like a knife had been stabbed through him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as Jake pulled out a chair for Miley and she sat down.

"Um, guys, we have announcement. Jake and I are back together," Miley lied. She glanced at Nick and saw his eyes fill with pain, and his facial expression looked the same. She smiled to herself and glanced at Jake, who had his arm around her.

"So, does Abi like him?" Nick asked through clenched teeth. "She hasn't met him yet. And even if she had, I don't see how if would be any of your business. You have Mikayla, remember?" Miley snapped.

"I'm Abigail's father. I have the right to know if she likes your man-whore or not," Nick said through gritted teeth. "Nicholas!" Mrs. Gray warned. "I don't see how my personal life affects you, Nick. I only have anything to do with you because of your fucking wedding and our daughter. I don't go asking you about your relationship with Mikayla, so stay out of me and Jake's," Miley said, standing up.

"Miley, he'll just hurt you again," Nick said quietly, standing up too. "Oh, what, just like you did? You are such a hypocrite, Nick. You go around saying that he'll hurt me again, when you hurt me worse than Jake ever did!" Miley snapped and stormed away to the bathroom.

"Smooth going, Nick. She's probably crying because of you. _Again_. In your own words, kind of like senior year, huh?" Lilly hissed, and she sprang up and walked after Miley. Nick looked around the table and sat down. Everyone was staring at him.

"Nicky, what were Lilly and Miley talking about when they said crying and hurting Miley? What did you do? Why did Lilly say something about your senior year?" Mikayla asked. She was clueless to the full extent of the pain both Nick and Miley had gone through.

"It's unimportant," Nick muttered, and Jake stood up. "I suddenly don't feel very welcome here. Tell Miley to call me when she gets a chance," he said, and walked out of the restaurant. "Nick! Miley _finally_ has a new boyfriend, and you scare him away!" Joe exclaimed.

"I didn't mean to," Nick said quietly. "I'm glad you did, Nicky. She's not good enough for someone like that guy. He's way too hot and sweet for her," Mikayla said. "You're right. She deserves so much more," Nick murmured under his breath, and he stood up. "I think I owe Miley an apology," he said, and he walked down the corridor, where he heard Lilly laugh in the bathroom. He knew it was wrong, but he pressed his ear against the door and listened anyway.

"Let me get this straight. Jake is helping you get Nick jealous because you still love Nick?" Lilly asked while laughing. Nick heard Miley giggle. "Yeah. Jake texted me. He said Nick looked really jealous. I think it's working," she said.

Nick smiled to himself. Miley still loved him. And he still loved her. The only problem was Mikayla, and his engagement. He texted Jake and told him to come back to the restaurant, and that he was sorry. He pressed his ear to the door again.

"Miley, are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Lilly asked with doubt in her voice. "What else is there to do, Lils? Everyone is saying he still loves me too. And this is the only way to prove it to myself," Miley said. Lilly sighed. "OK. I'll support you, whatever you choose, because we're best friends. But if Nick breaks your heart again, and I have to pick up the pieces all over again-" Lilly was cut off.

"He won't, Lils. Everything is going to plan. It's all working out. And anyway, Nick loves Abi. Mikayla hates her. I think I know who Nick will pick between the two of them," Miley said. Nick smiled. Miley knew him better than anyone else.

He pulled his ear away from the door and walked back to the restaurant. Jake was now sitting where he had been previously sitting. Nick sat in his place again and smiled. Mikayla leaned closer to Nick and whispered in his ear, "Have you made your choice yet?" Nick nervously shook his head. Mikayla nibbled his earlobe.

"Maybe this will help you decide," she whispered. She grabbed his face and began making out with him. Nick knew Miley was probably watching, and he wanted to make her jealous, so he deepened it and pulled Mikayla onto his lap.

When he pulled away, he saw Miley making out with Cody opposite. He felt a twinge of jeakousy strike his body as Cody pulled Miley closer, and she played with the hair at the back of his neck. It reminded him of the way he used to kiss Miley, before everything fell apart.

Nick couldn't watch her make out with someone who was most definitely not him, so he stood up and started leaving. He heard everyone calling his name, and he turned to see that Miley and Cody had pulled away from each other.

"Nick? Where are you going?" Miley asked curiously.

"I-I need some air," Nick stuttered, and he rushed out into the fresh air. Taking in the cool night breeze, he sat on a bench and looked down. If he hadn't ended things in senior year, none of this heartache would be happening. He wouldn't have to watch Miley with another guy. And Miley wouldn't have to watch him with Mikayla.

"This is all my fault."

**A/N: I worked super hard to get this out. I think I'm on a roll. 4 chapters in 1 night?! That's awesome for me. I hope you enjoyed it. Make my efforts worth something and leave me a nice long review, telling me what you liked best about the chapter and stuff. And if you have any ideas, then let me know, and I'll use them if I really really like them.**

**Love, Charlotte xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Fifth chapter. There is bad language in this chapter. Lots of it. So if you don't like it, I advise you read. But this is kind of a major chapter, so you sort of have to read it if you want to understand in the future ... Oh well. You can make up your own minds about whether you want to read it or not. Thanks for the support. 41 reviews in 1 night?! Last night was amazing, with all the amazing reviews, and I got 4 chapter up!**

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 5.

Miley looked at Jake, who nodded. "Um, will you guys excuse me for a moment, please?" she asked. She stood up and walked out after Nick. She walked over to the bench where he was sitting and sat beside him. "Hey," she whispered. Nick looked at Miley with cold eyes.

"I can't do this, Miley. I can't watch you with another guy. It's too hard. I think I should go," Nick said quietly. He stood up and started walking away, but Miley sprang up and jumped in front of his path as rain began to fall down heavily.

"What, so since I left, your tactic has become to run away?! Nick, how the fuck do you think I feel?! I have to watch you with _Mikayla_, who hates our daughter! But me, I don't complain!" Miley yelled. Nick looked at her as she continued yelling at him. "I thought you wouldn't come back to L.A.! That's why I brought Abi here! Why the fuck did you come back, Nick?!" Miley looked at him with watery eyes.

"I-I don't know," Nick whispered. Miley looked up at the grey skies and then back at Nick. "I fell apart when you dumped me. And I found out I was pregnant. How the fuck could you dump me when we had sex together?!" she screamed.

"I was 18! How the hell is an 18 year old guy meant to handle a steady girlfriend when he's going to New York, and she's going to Princeton?! It was hard for me too, Miley! Don't make this the sob story for _you_. Everyone saw how I fell apart when you left!" Nick yelled back.

"I think there's something you should know about what you did. **For that, I hate you.** You dumped me and shattered me! You didn't give me a _proper_ reason as to why you ended it! Because of course, it was all about NICK!" Miley screamed.

Nick stared at her. She could go from loving him to hating him in minutes. It had always been like that. He didn't know why, but it had. He took in the extent of her beauty right at that moment. The rain pouring down on her, although it ruined her hair and outfit, made her look even more beautiful. Her hair was sticking to her head, and her clothes had turned into a darker shade of the original colours. The clothes stuck to her body. Nick took it in and closed his eyes.

"Miley, can I do something?" he asked her. He knew she was angry, but he needed to do this. For himself. "Fine. Nothing can be worse than what you've already done to me," she growled. Nick opened his eyes and looked around. The street was empty and silent, except for the low buzz from the talking in the restaurant, their voices, and the rain hitting off all objects in the street. He led her into an alley and took in her beauty again. "You're ... beautiful," he whispered, getting close to her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked. Nick saw a slight smile playing on her lips when his body touched hers, and when his lips were inches from hers. "Stay still," he whispered, barely audible. She wouldn't have heard him if she wasn't standing right in front of him.

Nick leaned in closer and placed his lips on her. He wrapped his arms around her waist. Miley felt tingles and electric shocks run through her body as he deepened it, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Within minutes, the kiss was no longer gentle. It was rough and hungry. They were hungry for each other. To have their bodies in such close proximity was like the old times, when Abigail was conceived. Nick slammed Miley against the walls, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. "This is wrong," she murmured against his lips. "When it comes to us, there is no wrong and right," Nick murmured back. Miley moved from his lips and started kissing his ear. He moaned as she nibbled on his earlobe. It felt so much better than when Mikayla did it.

Nick grabbed her head and pressed his forehead against Miley's. He looked into her eyes. They had been taken over by lust and want. Just like his own. He smiled at her and kissed her roughly again. She happily kissed him back and turned it into heavy making out. She was playing with his hair. It made him go weak at the knees. He almost lost his balance and fell, but he didn't. He continued to hold her up at the back of her thighs and kiss her.

Miley pulled away and jumped down from him. "I can't do this to Mikayla. No matter how much I hate her, I can't do this to her. You're getting married in a few months, Nick. I'm your _wedding planner_," Miley said. Nick grabbed her hands, and turned her to look at him.

"You're also the girl I'm in love with, and the mother of my daughter. Miley, please. I need you in my life. I don't care about Mikayla like I care about you. We can run away. You, me and Abi. We can go to New York or Tennessee or New Jersey. Please, Miley. I don't want Mikayla. I thought she was good for me, but then you came back, and I met Abi. Please, Miley," Nick begged. Miley shook her head as tears fell.

"I can't. I can't do that to her. And if we break up again? I can't Abi through that," she said. Nick walked over and wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb. "I'm so sorry, Miley. I never meant to hurt you back then," he whispered.

"It's too late. I-I have to get back inside. I'll see you in there," Miley said. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and started walking back. "Oh, so you're just going to run away like last time?" Nick called after her. Miley froze. She knew he was angry, but he didn't have to bring that into it.

"_FYI, _I wasn't running last time. I was saving your fucking ass! You wouldn't have been able to follow your dreams if I had held you back with a fucking baby! You would have left us, anyway. We didn't need you. But my life has been shit since I saw you again!" Miley screamed.

Nick smirked. "If I make your life so miserable, then why did you seem to be enjoying that kiss we just had?" Miley shrugged. "Quickie in the alley," she muttered and walked inside. "We didn't even have sex so it wasn't a quickie!" Nick yelled after her and laughed before walking into the restaurant. Everyone was staring at him.

"Nicky, baby, your lips are swollen. Did you fall or something?" Mikayla whined. Nick closed his eyes and winced. "No, Mikayla," he said and looked at Miley. "They're from us making out earlier." Nick saw the pain in Miley's eyes at the thought of Nick and Mikayla making out. He smirked in her direction. She glared at him and turned to Jake. "Jakey, come here," she said sexily, and pulled him in by his tie. She started making out with him. Nick felt as if a million daggers just stabbed him in the heart when he saw it.

Mr. Stewart noticed the pain in Nick's eyes. "Not at the table, please, Miley Ray," he said. Miley pulled away and looked at Nick. He was staring at her, shocked. "What?" she asked him. Nick looked down without a reply. "That's what I thought," she said.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Miley got home and saw her grandma walking down the stairs. "She had a nightmare so I had to read her a story to get her to go back to sleep," Grandma said. Miley smiled. "Thanks, Grandma. Was she good?" she asked. "Very. Better than you were," Grandma said and smiled. Miley laughed. "Thanks again. Have a safe journey home."

"Thank you, sweetheart. But before I leave, I wanted to ask you something about Nick Gray," Grandma replied. Miley looked down and said, "What about him?" Grandma noticed how sad Miley was at the name. "Sweetie, I know he found out about Abi. But Abi asked if he was moving in with you. Does that mean ..." Grandma trailed off.

"No, Grandma. He's getting married. We all call her the Wicked Witch of the West Coast. She _hates_ Abigail, and she hates Abi spending time with Nick. Joe said that she thought Nick was getting too close to me again, so she's doing everything to keep him from straying away," Miley explained.

"Sweetheart, we all know Nick loves you. He was in pieces before and after he went for college. He dated her to get his mind off you, his mom said. But then he got to know her, and as he saw it, he wasn't going to be with you again, so he asked her to marry him," Grandma said. Miley sighed and looked down. "Grandma, something happened tonight. Nick ... kissed me," Miley said softly.

"And did you feel anything?" Grandma asked.

This is what Miley loved about her grandmother. She could tell her anything and be sure that she wouldn't be judged. Her grandmother was a young one, so she was just like a friend to Miley. "I felt sparks again, Grandma. Like old times. Before Abi or before graduation on anything," Miley whispered.

"Oh sweetie," Grandma said and embraced Miley into a tight hug as Miley began to cry softly. "I can't have him, Grandma. I can't have him and it kills me. Every time I see him with her, I feel like I want to die and crawl under a rock," Miley sobbed. Grandma stroked Miley's hair and kissed her head.

"Sweetie, have you told Nick any of this?" Grandma asked. "What would he say? He's getting married, and I'm the wedding planner. I don't want to be the home-wrecking whore. I don't want him to ruin his future for me and Abi. He deserves better. Grandma ... I can't do this. I think I'm going to go back to Tennessee soon."

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Nick fell back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. Mikayla had taken his advice and gone to stay at a hotel. Nick sighed and turned on a CD he had recorded in his studio one day. It was all the songs he had ever written about Miley, all sang by him. He sighed again as the song 'Can't Have You' **(A/N: Yes, I know it's a JB song, but for the sake of my story, say that Nick wrote it about Miley when she left for Tennessee!) **began playing. He sang along.

"_So tell me what we're fighting for, Cause you know that the truth means so much more, Cause if you could then you would, don't lie. Cause I'll give you everything I have left, Just to show you I mean what I have said, I know I was such a fool but I can't live without you,_" Nick sang his heart out. The door opened and he pressed pause. He turned to see Joe looking at him.

"You mean every word of that song, right? She means the world to you, huh?" he asked. Nick sat up and looked at his questioning brother. "I mean every word, yes. And she means more than the world to me. She means the universe to me," Nick replied and looked down, fiddling with his promise ring.

When they were 17, Nick had given Miley a promise ring to show that he'd always love her, and he had a matching one. He had never taken his off. Not once. Even when he got engaged to Mikayla, he kept it on for every second of the day as a reminder of the life he used to live with Miley.

"Then why are you with Mikayla if Miley's the girl for you?" Joe asked. "Because ... I asked Mikayla to marry me. I promised I would. I can't go back on that promise, Joe. You can't break that kind of promise to a girl," Nick said.

"Really? Can't you? Look at that ring. I remember clearly that when you gave Miley her ring, you said, 'One day I'll marry you'. Yet you're now marrying Mikayla. That's dodgy, Nick. Think about it. You can break the promise to Miley, but you can't break it to Mikayla?" Joe asked. He pointed to Nick's ring and left the room.

Nick sighed and fell back onto the bed. He put a pillow over his face and screamed into the pillow. Why was he doing this to Miley, let alone himself?

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Nick was jogging down the beach on his morning run, listening to one of his songs on his iPod and singing along with one of his songs, To Be With You **(A/N: I know this is a David Archuleta song, but again, let's say for the sake of my story that Nick wrote it for Miley when she left for Tennessee)**.

"_And I can't imagine two worlds spinning apart, Come together eventually,_" he sang. He was so caught up in thinking about his problems that he ran into someone and knocked them down. "I am so sorry!" he said and paused his iPod. He looked down to see that it was Jake. "Oh, uh, hey, Jake," he said quietly.

"It's cool. Hey, Nick. What's up? You OK? You looked pretty cut up last night," Jake said and smiled genuinely. Nick knew that Jake wasn't trying to be a bad guy by helping Miley get him jealous. He was only trying to be a good friend to Miley.

"I'm fine. I was just a bit ... off last night. I'm sorry I was such a jerk, and that I'm playing all these mind games with your ... girlfriend," Nick choked out the last word. Even though he knew that Jake and Miley weren't actually dating, it still killed him to think of it.

"We're not really together. We're just having fun and seeing what happens," lied Jake. Nick nodded and looked at Jake, who was looking at the sunrise. "Jake, do me a favour, OK? Uh, look after her," Nick said. "I will," Jake said, and Nick jogged off down the beach as he turned his music up louder to try and drown out his thoughts. But, of course, like everything Nick had tried to do recently, it didn't work.

**twily . twily . twily . twily**

That evening, Nick knocked on Miley's front door. She answered and froze when she saw Nick. "W-What are you doing here?" she asked. "Is Abi here?" he asked quietly. "No, Joe and Lilly took her to the park. Why?" Miley asked.

Nick ignored the question and walked in. He closed the door and kissed her with all the passion he could muster up in his body. It took all of Miley's inner strength to push him off her. "I can't do this! I thought I told you that last night!" she yelled.

"I'll do anything to get you back, Miley. Mikayla wants me to pick between her and Abi, and I pick Abi! Please, Miley. I need you," Nick said. Miley looked down. "If you needed me, you would have tried to find me when I left. You wouldn't have dumped me in the first place if you needed me," she said.

"Miley ..." Nick said.

"I can't handle this. Get out," Miley said quietly.

"Miley, please," Nick begged.

"I SAID GET OUT!" she screamed.

Nick nodded. "OK, I get it. But Miley? I never got over you," he said, and he walked out. Miley sank to the floor and sobbed her heart out, crying the tears she had bottled up for 4 years.

**A/N: What do you think? I don't think it was as good as it could have been. But I was trying to get it out for you guys :) Hope you liked it :)**

**I'm very sad today. As you know, the Grammy's are today. But unfortunately, I doubt there will be a Niley moment. Nick will be with Joe (definitely) and Miley will be with Taylor (most likely). And with Taylor and Joe not exactly on the best of terms, I doubt that Niley will get to speak to each other with Taylor and Joe with them. So that's sad. But we can all try to do what I do instead. Remember the Inaugural and the Golden Globes :)**

**Love, Charlotte xoxo**

**P.S. REVIEWS PLEASE!!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: OMG you guys! You all leave such amazing reviews, and most of them are so long! I love them :) I love you guys soooo much. I can't stop listening to Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolph feat. Lil' Wayne. That song rocks :) How ironic. You know, Let It Rock and that song rocks. Oh well. Whatever. Hope you enjoy the chapter, and remember to leave me nice, long, lengthy reviews :D You guys rock! Also, I was listening to last year's Eurovision entries earlier. HOW THE FRIG DID DUSTIN THE TURKEY NOT WIN?! He's freaking hilarious!**

**THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M.**

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 6.

Miley walked into her closet and saw a large cardboard box with the word 'NICK' scrawled across the top in messy handwriting. She took a deep breath and opened the box. It was filled with complete junk. Old t-shirts and sweatshirts that had belonged to Nick, old tickets, jewellery, teddy bears, cards, everything that had anything to do with Nick.

Miley slowly picked up a picture that was resting on the top and sat down. She leaned her back against the wall of the walk-in closet and looked at the picture closely. It was before they had slept together. Nick had his arms around Miley from behind and he was kissing her cheek while Miley smiled at the camera. They looked so ... happy.

Miley sighed and ran her finger over Nick's face in the picture. His expression was filled with love. Like he actually loved her. She knew that he still did. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kissed her. But what was she supposed to do? He was getting married in 2 months! There was a knock on the closet door, and Miley looked up to see Mikayla standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Oh, um, hey, Mikayla. What are you doing here? You don't have another meeting with me until the dress fitting," Miley said and stood up. She walked over to Mikayla and put the picture in her pocket. Mikayla glared at Miley with teary eyes and slapped her across the face as hard as she could. Miley fell to the floor and looked up at Mikayla. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" she yelled. Mikayla burst into tears.

"STOP TRYING TO GET NICK BACK! STOP KISSING HIM! HE DOESN'T WANT YOU ANYMORE!" Mikayla screamed. She got the picture from Miley's pocket and knelt down to Miley, who was lying on the floor, holding her cheek. "You see this? _This_ is over." Mikayla ripped the picture in half. Miley felt the tears prick her eyes as she watched Mikayla rip it into tiny shreds.

"He's over you, Stewart. Get over him. He doesn't need or want you anymore. He doesn't need that brat of yours either. All he needs is me. You're ruining his life by staying here. Piling on the pressure of being the dad he doesn't want or need to be. Let him live his life. Move back to the farm, hillbilly. We can hire another wedding planner. No one wants you here," Mikayla hissed. Miley felt tears spill from her eyes as she stared at Mikayla.

Mikayla stood up straight and brushed herself off. "As soon as Nick marries me, I'll make sure he sends her to boarding school in Switzerland," she said, referring to Abigail. Miley looked at her. "How the hell do you expect to do that when I have full custody?" Miley asked. Mikayla didn't know how to answer that, so she flicked her hair over her shoulder and strutted out.

Miley curled up into a ball and sobbed her heart out. She picked up the shreds of the picture and stared at them. One shred had the part of the picture where Nick's lips were on her cheek. Miley stared at the picture shred and started sobbing uncontrollably. Something was pulling her to Nick, and the problem was that she had no clue what it was.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Nick sat in his back yard, in the treehouse his dad had built him when he was a kid. He was staring at Miley's house, and into her room. He saw the lights on, but he couldn't see any sign that Miley was in the room. The lights in her huge closet were on, and all he could do was stare and think about what had happened in her hallway moments earlier. He had screwed up, sure. Maybe he shouldn't have dumped her 4 years ago. But why did she keep pushing him away? Thoughts and suggestions as to why this was ran through his mind as he took out his iPhone and tapped a few buttons. He scrolled threw his contacts and found Miley. He pressed 'call' and waited as the phone rang ...

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Miley wiped her tears with the back of her hand as her BlackBerry vibrated beside her. She looked at it and saw the name 'Nick' flashing across the screen. She took a deep breath and pressed 'ignore'. She closed her eyes and breathed out. Why was she putting herself through all this pain? It was beyond her, to be honest. She opened her eyes when she felt her phone vibrating in her hand again. She looked down and saw Nick's name again. She simply pressed the 'ignore' button again. Within 10 seconds, he had called again. Miley took a deep breath and pressed a button, but this time, it was the 'answer' button.

"Why are you calling me, Nick?" she asked into the phone. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall like she had before Mikayla had come and visited her. "I-I wanted to apologise. I admit, kissing you wasn't the best decision. But I-I love you. I can't control it anymore. I thought I could handle it, but I really can't," Nick said.

"If you really loved me, you wouldn't be putting me through all this pain. I don't want to go through this anymore. I want to go back to Tennessee with Abi. I don't think we should live here anymore. I don't think I can keep being your wedding planner," Miley said. Nick's eyes widened.

"What? Miley, what's gotten into you? You never turn a job, no matter who it is. If it was Amber or Ashley from high school, you'd still do it, no matter how much you hate them. Heck, you'd even do it for Joanie! Why are you giving up on me? It's ... It's the only way I can see you, Mi. And please don't take Abigail from me. I love her. She's my little girl. I need my daughter, Miley," Nick said.

"I'm moving back to Tennessee, Nick, and I'm taking Abigail. That's final," Miley said, and she hung up on him.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Nick froze in his place in the treehouse. Miley was moving back to Tennessee. And she was taking his daughter with her. Nick went down the ladder as fast as he could and ran next door. He knocked on the Stewart door and there was no answer, so he just pushed the door open and sprinted up the stairs. He burst through Miley's bedroom door and he saw her packing a suitcase in her closet. He walked in and put his hand over the bag. Miley refused to look at him.

"Nick, go. I want to leave tomorrow. Let me pack," she said quietly. "So this is it? You're just going to run away with my daughter all over again? I love that little girl. She's just as much my daughter as she is yours. You can't take that from me. I love her," Nick pleaded.

"It's best for us all. This way, I can get over you, you can get over me and marry Mikayla, Mikayla can stop hating on me and Abi, and Abi can get away from Mikayla. It's a win situation for everyone," Miley said. She was holding back tears as she threw a tank top into the suitcase.

"What about me? It isn't a winning situation for me, Miley. I want you in my life. I _need_ you in my life. I let you walk out of my life once, and I won't do it again. You and Abi are what I need. I don't need Mikayla," Nick begged.

"Oh yeah? Well prove it," Miley said. She stopped packing and turned to look at Nick. Nick looked down at her. She looked as beautiful as ever. He couldn't restrain himself. She was like a magnet to him ...

**It's M from here on, you guys. I'll let you know when the M part is over**

So he kissed her. Hard and passionately. He immediately got a flashback of how things were in high school, and he deepened it. He felt her kiss back and wrap her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He licked her lips, begging for entry, and she gladly accepted and opened her mouth. Nick pressed his tongue against hers, and she pressed hers back. Nick backed into the bedroom and fell back onto the bed, pulling her on with him. He flipped them over so he was on top of her, and he began to kiss her neck.

"Nick ... this is wrong," she panted as she ran her hands through his curls. Nick sucked on her neck, leaving his mark, and he whispered in her ear, "Like I said in the alley, with us, there is no wrong and right." He nibbled at her earlobe and kissed down her neck to her shoulder, where he started sucking on her sweet spot. Miley moaned and ran her hands down his back. She pulled his shirt over his head and threw it across the room. He smiled and pulled her shirt off. He kissed down her shoulder to her chest and down to her stomach.

He unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them off her. She unbuttoned his board shorts and pulled them off his legs. She felt something hard hit off her thigh, and she knew he wanted her badly. She smiled to herself and whispered in his ear, "Someone's happy." It sent chills down his spine. He unclipped her bra and threw it across the room. He looked at her. She was beautiful.

Miley felt strange having him stare at her chest. But it was a good kind of strange. He slowly moved down slightly and started kissing her breast. She moaned and pulled him up again. She kissed him roughly and hungrily. She wanted to feel every inch of his skin against hers. He brought his hands to her breasts and stroked them.

He then moved his hands down, past her curves, to her panties. She bit her lip as he started kissing her neck again and slid a hand into her panties. She felt herself get wetter and wetter as he fingered around and stroked her 'area'. She moaned as he brought his hand out and slipped her panties off. He pulled away from her and looked at her whole body. She was more beautiful than he remembered. And she had most definitely matured.

Miley pulled Nick down to her and slipped off his boxers. Nick looked at Miley, and he saw the lust in her eyes. "Mi, are you sure this is what you want?" he whispered. "I want you," she whispered back. Nick kissed her forehead and slowly went into her. She moaned in pleasure and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her. Nick grunted and went faster and harder. He was getting turned on by her moaned.

**OK, people, the M rated part is over.**

An hour later, he rolled off her and lay beside her, breathing heavily. "Shit," he muttered.

"Nick, we shouldn't have done that. Mikayla's going to kill me." Miley swung her legs round the side of the bed. Nick came up behind her and kissed her shoulder. "Babe, Mikayla doesn't have to know," he whispered in her ear.

Miley wrapped her dressing gown around herself and tied it tightly. "Nick, that was wrong of us. You're engaged, and I swore to myself I wouldn't involved with you," she said. Nick swung his legs around the side of the bed and pulled on his boxers. "If it was so wrong of us, then why did it feel so right? And I didn't hear you complaining when I was having sex with you," he said.

"This doesn't change anything, Nick. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to hand in my resignation and then I'm taking Abi to the airport," Miley said. Nick put his head in his hands and looked at her. "Why are you doing this to me?" he whispered. She was about to reply, but his phone started playing the song 'Thinking Of You' by Katy Perry blared from his phone. Miley looked at him with raised eyebrows, and he blushed. "Mikayla changed it when you came back. To make me think of her when I'm with you," he said, and answered.

"Nick, have you made your choice yet? Me or the brat?" Mikayla asked angrily. Nick sighed. "Kayla, now isn't the time. Can we talk about this later?" he asked. "No we cannot talk about this later! Come to my hotel NOW!" she screamed into the phone and hung up. Nick sighed and started pulling on his clothes.

"I'll call you tomorrow. I want to see Abi before you leave," Nick said, and with those words, he left. Miley ran over to her window and saw him walk to his house and get in his car. She sighed as she saw him drive down the street.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Nick walked into Mikayla's hotel room and leaned against the wall while she sat on the bed with her legs crossed. "Well? What's your decision?" she asked impatiently. "Mikayla, I think there's something you should know first," he said. "What?" Mikayla asked. "I had sex with Miley," Nick said quietly.

"You WHAT?!" Mikayla exclaimed angrily. She got up and slapped him. "Luckily for you, I'm willing to forget your mental relapse and move on from it. So, your decision. Me or the brat?" Mikayla asked. Nick took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Mikayla. But I pick Abi. I don't love you like I was trying to convince myself I did. I love Miley. I never stopped loving her. And seeing Abigail made me fall for her even harder than I had before. I'm sorry, but the engagement's off," Nick said, and he walked from the room.

Once he got on the street, all he could hear was Mikayla's screams from the tenth floor.

**A/N: I know it's short, but whatever. The next chapter might be the last, unless people want me to continue. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Remember to review. ILY, guys :) You all rock. The amount of reviews I've gotten is overwhelming. I never expected this many to be honest. I love you all so much. Thank you.**

**I should doing my homework right now, but then I thought, why do Physics homework when I could be writing for my amazing fans? :P Physics sucks. But it's better than Chemistry. I HATE Chemistry. OK, my science rant is over now :)**

**Love, Charlotte xoxo**

**P.S. I am so watching the Grammy's! On in the UK at 9pm on ITV2 on Monday. Be sure to watch ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**FINAL CHAPTER UNLESS YOU GUYS WANT ME TO CONTINUE!**

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 7.

Miley was packing away all Abigail's things in Abigail's room when Lilly, Joe and Abigail walked in. "Mommy, why are you packing?" Abigail asked quietly. Miley turned and picked up Abigail. "Abs, baby, I think we should go home now," Miley said softly.

"But Momma, this is our home," Abigail said. "Abi, we're leaving. We can't stay here," Miley whispered. "But Daddy's here," Abigail said with teary eyes. "I know, baby. But you can come and visit him whenever you want. Uncle Joey can take you," Miley said. She looked at Joe, who smiled and nodded.

"Joe, would you mind taking her over to say goodbye to Nick?" Miley asked quietly. Joe nodded and took Abigail from Miley, and carried her out of the house. Miley started packing up again, and Lilly walked over and stood beside Miley. "You've only been here a couple of days. Why are you leaving?" she asked.

"I can't watch Nick and Mikayla anymore. I can't be their wedding planner. I can be hers, just not his, because it kills me to know that the girl he's marrying isn't me. And ... something happened when you took Abi to the park," Miley said. "What?" asked Lilly. She sat down beside Miley.

"Nick and I had sex. He said he loved me and that he needed me, and I told him to prove it. So he kissed me and we got carried away. And somehow, we ended up having sex in my bed," Miley said. Lilly hugged her. "Sweetie, he wasn't lying. He loves you with everything he can possibly have. I've never seen him this cut up about something. He's never wanted something this much in his life before, according to Joe," Lilly said.

"I can't live like this, Lilly. One minute, he's either fucking me or sucking my face off, and the next, he's doing the same with Mikayla. I need to clear my head. Tennessee is just the place to do it. I think that's exactly what I need. Space from everything. It hurts too much to stay in L.A. And I know I'm hurting Nick and Abi by taking Abi with me, but I can't live without my little girl by my side. I need to protect her, like I always have," Miley said.

"Miley, do you really think running away will make any of this better? If anything, it'll make it worse. Abigail really likes Nick, and he loves her to pieces. I don't want to see anyone's life fall apart like it did last time. Last time was horrible. I don't want a replay for anybody. Don't do this to Nick. He fell apart last time. He wouldn't come out of his room for days, and he wouldn't leave the house for weeks. He spent his time holed up in his bedroom or the family music room, writing songs about missing you and not being able to have you in his life anymore, and about how much he had screwed up. You two belong together. Stop running for once in your life and look at your life. You have the perfect daughter, amazing friends and family, and you could have the perfect guy. But you refuse to date him!" Lilly exclaimed. "Why you keep doing this to yourself and Nick is beyond me. Running away is never going to help solve your problems. Don't you see that? Abi's settling here, and you want to pull her away and back to Tennessee. She's four years old, Miley! She doesn't deserve this, and neither does Nick."

Miley started sobbing and sank to the ground. Lilly knelt down beside her and hugged her tightly. "It's alright, sweetie. I know it's difficult, but you can make it out of this mess. Go and talk to Nick," Lilly said. Miley shook her head and spoke. "Lils, I think I'm going to go back to Tennessee on my own for a while. Abi can stay here with Nick. I think it's what they both need. I'll just go to the farm and clear my head. I'll be back in a few weeks. 3 months, tops. I promise."

Lilly widened her eyes in shock. "Miley, I don't think that's the best -" Miley cut her off. "It _is_ for the best, Lilly. I can't keep putting Nick through the pain. And I can't keep putting myself through it either. And Abi ... she deserves some time with her dad." Lilly looked at Miley as she wiped away her tears and stood up. "I'm going to say goodbye to Abi," she said and left. Lilly looked at where Miley had finished packing, and she slowly started unpacking the bags.

**twily . twily . twily . twily. twily**

Miley knocked on the Gray door, and Nick answered while carrying Abigail in his arms. "Oh, Miley, I need to tell you -" Miley cut Nick off. "I don't think I need to know right now, Nick. I just came by to tell you that, if you want, Abi can stay with you and I'll go to Tennessee on my own for a little bit. I need to clear my head, and you need your daughter. And ... our daughter needs her father. So would you mind if she stayed with you for a few weeks?" Miley asked.

"Of course I don't mind, Miley. But -" Nick began, but Miley shook her head. "I don't have time, Nick. Can I just say goodbye to Abigail, please?" she asked. Nick nodded and put Abigail down. Miley knelt down to Abigail's eye level and hugged her. "Be good for your dad, OK, sweetheart? I'll be back before you know it," she said with teary eyes. "I don't want you to leave, Momma. Why are you leaving?" Abigail asked.

"I need to take a little breather, sweetie. I'll miss you, baby girl," Miley said. She hugged Abigail again and kissed her forehead. "Bye, Momma," Abigail said with teary eyes. "Bye, sweetheart. I love you," Miley said. She glanced at Nick and stood up straight.

"Uh, thanks," she said, and started walking away. Nick was going to call her name, but he didn't see the point. She'd blow him off anyway. He looked down at Abigail and saw her crying, so he picked her up and wiped away her tears. "What's wrong, princess?"

"I don't want Momma to go," Abigail sobbed. Nick stroked her hair and carried her into the kitchen. "I don't either, Abs," he said and wiped her tears. "What about the witch?" Abigail asked. Nick chuckled. "I chose you and your mom over her. I don't think she'll bug us anymore, princess," Nick said with a smile. Abigail smiled through her tears and hugged Nick.

"You won't leave me, Daddy, right?" she asked. Nick smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'll never leave you, baby girl," he said. "Daddy, why aren't you and Mommy married like everyone else's parents?" Abigail asked. "I, uh, I don't know if I should tell you the reason, Abigail," Nick said timidly.

"Daddy, please. Do you not love Momma?" Abigail asked. Nick smiled. "I love her with all my heart, Abs," he replied. "Then why aren't you with her now?" Abigail asked. "It's a long story, baby girl," Nick said. "But, Daddy, I need to know," Abigail whined. "I'll tell you when you're older, princess. But bed for you, baby girl," he said. "I have nothing to sleep in," she said. "Joe's upstairs. He'll watch you. I'll run next door and get you some stuff," he said. Abigail clambered up the stairs and Nick rushed next door.

He knocked on the door, and Miley answered. She froze when she saw him. "What are you doing here?" she asked cooly. "Um, Abi doesn't have anything at my house, so I came to pick up some of her stuff," he said, staring at her. Memories of what had happened earlier that night flashed across his mind as she stepped aside and let him in.

"Her room's straight up the stairs and first on the left. Right beside mine," she said. Nick walked up the stairs after her and she led him into a pink bedroom. He saw bags all over the room. "Wow, you meant it when you said you were leaving," he said softly.

"I mean everything I say, Nick. I thought you would have learnt that my now," she said quietly. Nick nodded and looked at her. "Which bag do you want me to take?" he asked. "Um, that blue duffel has all her shampoo and toothbrush and toothpaste and stuff, and her pyjamas, so you can take that. And that green duffel has a bunch of her clothes in it, so you can take that too. And you can take that black duffel there as well. It has a bunch of her toys in it. And I'll leave the rest of her stuff here so you can come and get it if you need it," she said.

"Miley ... you don't have to leave. Abi doesn't want you to go. Lilly, Joe and Kev don't want you to go. Your family and my family don't want you to go. _I_ don't want you to go. Mile, it isn't necessary for you to leave," he said softly. Miley shook her head.

"I have too much on my mind, Nick. I need to think things through properly. I don't want to rush into anything. I just want to take a deep breath and think things through before I dive into something I'll regret. I've done it before and I won't do it again," she said. Nick looked at her and saw her looking at a picture of her and Abigail hanging on the wall.

"She looks just like you, Mile," Nick whispered. "I always thought she looked like you. I mean, look at the hair and eyes," Miley said. He saw her eyes get teary as she stared at the picture. "Miley ... you really don't have to go. There isn't a reason to anymore," Nick said softly.

"You and Mikayla," she said. "Are over. I ended it. I chose you and Abigail. I let you go once, Mi. I'm not making the same mistake twice," Nick whispered and got close to her. She closed her eyes and felt his breath on her face, tickling her neck. Her breath hitched and she felt like her head was spinning. Being so close to him was making her go out of control. She couldn't control herself ..

She put her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him down to kiss her. It was soft, yet full of lust, want and hunger. After a few minutes, she pulled away and shook her head as she slowly backed away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," she said.

"I, uh, I think I should go," Nick said. He grabbed the duffels and left. His lips tingled from the kiss. He smiled to himself and touched his lips before going into his house, where he saw Joe sitting on the couch with Abigail. He sat the duffel bags down and walked over.

"OK, come on, princess. Bedtime," Nick said. He lifted Abigail and grabbed the blue duffel bag, and he walked upstairs. He sat her down on the bed in the guest room and opened up the bag. "Which pyjamas do you want to wear, sweetheart?" he asked. Abigail pointed to a pair with pink teddy bears on them.

"Daddy, why can't you talk to Mommy? Why can't she stay here with us?" Abigail asked as he helped her into her pyjamas. Nick sighed. "I'm wondering that myself, princess," he said softly and tucked her under the covers. Abigail wiped her final tears away with the back of her hand and she sighed.

"Daddy, I don't want her to leave," she whispered. Nick leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I don't either, sweetheart. But I promise, it won't be long before she's back and you can hug her again, baby girl," Nick said. He stroked Abigail's cheek and looked down at her. "Abi, baby ... you are the image of your mother," he whispered and smiled. "That's what Grandma said," Abigail whispered.

"Well," Nick said and smiled. "Your grandma is completely and utterly correct."

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

The next morning, Miley walked downstairs with her bags and walked into the kitchen. "Mom, Dad, Brandi, Jackson, Noah, I'm leaving now," she said quietly. Noah, Brandi and Jackson ran over and hugged her tightly. "Please, Mile. You can't leave. Nick will fall apart all over again," Jackson begged. "I have to clear my head," Miley whispered.

"Miley, stop trying to kid yourself. We all know you want and need Nick as much as he needs and wants you. What's stopping either of you?! You're both holding back and pushing each other away. So he has Mikayla. He can dump her," Brandi said and looked at Miley.

"I have to do this. For myself, and for Abi, and for Nick. Maybe if I'm gone, then he can marry Mikayla in peace," Miley said. Noah rolled her eyes. "And for what? For him to fall for you all over again when you come back? Miley, this isn't going to do anyone any good," she said. Miley smiled weakly and wiped away a few stray tears that had fallen. "It'll do me good. I can't keep acting like everything's OK when it's not. I think I should spend some time on the farm," she said softly.

"OK, baby girl. Come here," Mrs. Stewart said. Miley walked over, and her parents engulfed her in their arms. "Baby, Nick's going to fall apart without you," Mr. Stewart whispered. "He was finally beginning to piece himself back together after he saw you," Mrs. Stewart said. "I can't hurt him anymore. It isn't fair," Miley whispered.

"I know, baby. But by leaving, you'll still hurt him," Mrs. Stewart replied. Miley sighed. "I have to do this for myself," she said. "OK. If it's what you want and need, we'll support you," Mr. Stewart said softly. Miley nodded and hugged her family one last time.

"Tell Abi I love her," she whispered. She grabbed her bags, her Gucci handbag and her black Dolce trench coat and looked at the house one more time. "I'll be back soon. I promise," she said, and she walked out to the taxi waiting for her outside the house. As she stepped in, she looked up and saw Nick staring at her through his bedroom window. She looked away with teary eyes and got into the cab. "Could you drop me off at Alexis Crenchaw's office, please?" she asked the driver, and the taxi driver drove her into the heart of L.A, where she saw the office towering above her as the driver waited for her.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Nick backed away from the window with tears in his eyes. She was gone, and he hadn't done anything to stop her. It was possibly the biggest mistake in his life. He sat down on his bed and looked at the ceiling. There was nothing but plain white paint. "What am I doing?" he whispered.

"You're tearing yourself up inside, that's what your doing," a voice from behind him said. Nick turned to see Joe and Kevin standing in the door. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked and stood up.

"Trying to help out little brother. Nick, you have a four year old daughter in the other room that needs her parents. Both of them. The last thing she needs is her mom off in Tennessee trying to think. It's the last thing any of you need. Why are you letting her slip away so easily?" Joe asked and sat down beside Nick while Kevin sat on the desk chair.

"Because I need myself to let go. She needs me to let go," Nick whispered. "What Miley needs is a strong relationship with the father of her child – the man she's been missing for the past four and a half years. Nick, she was broken for the past few years. What hurt her even more was when she saw you with Mikayla," Kevin said.

"Miley needs nothing from me. She needs me to leave her alone. That's the only thing she needs that has _anything_ to do with me," Nick muttered. "Oh really? And what about Abi? They need each other, and she has your DNA running through her vains," Joe said.

Nick smiled at the thought of Abigail. She was honestly the most beautiful child he'd ever seen. Her big brown eyes made anyone fall at her feet, and her curly brown hair was a mixture of both her parents' hair. She was petite and amazingly beautiful.

"Nick, you need to stop Miley. If you don't, you'll regret it until she comes back. And that could be in months," Kevin said. Nick smiled and nodded. "You guys are right," he said. He stood up and slipped on his shoes. He grabbed his wallet and keys and jacket and turned to his brothers. "Watch Abs for me," he said. He smiled and ran down the stairs as fast as he could, only to be stopped by Mrs. Gray.

"Ahem, Nicholas. Where do you think you're going? You have a little four year old to look after," she said. "Mom, Kev and Joe are watching Abi. I need to go find Miley. Please, Mom. I can't let her leave," Nick begged. Mrs. Gray looked at her son. She saw the need and desperation in his eyes.

"Go. And Nick?" she said as Nick headed for the door. He turned. "Yeah, Mom?" he asked.

"Don't let her get away this time," she said with a smile. "Never again will I let her get away, Mom," Nick said quietly and ran out to his car. He jumped in and put the keys in the ignition. He reversed onto the road and sped into the heart of L.A.

**twily . twily . twily . twily . twily**

Miley was sitting in Alexis' office, handing in her resignation. "Why are you leaving?" Alexis asked. She had grown to like Miley. "I can't handle the L.A. lifestyle as well as I could as a teenager. There are some things I can't cope with. Some things I can't get over. I need to think for a while. It's not a permanent resignation. It's just for a few weeks. A few months, tops," Miley explained.

"Well, alright then. Call me when you're coming back to work. Oh, and also, Mikayla Russo and Nick Gray cancelled the rest of their appointments. They didn't give a reason. So you don't have any clients until you get back. I'll see you when you return," Alexis said with a sigh.

"Thank you," Miley said. She slipped on her coat and sunglasses and grabbed her handbag. She smiled at Alexis and walked out the door. When she saw Beth, she smiled and hugged her, and explained what was happening. She then walked outside and saw the taxi gone with her bags sitting on the pavement. Her jaw dropped at what was sitting on them.

"Miss me?" Nick asked with a smirk on his face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing with my bags?!" she exclaimed and walked over to him. "The cab driver needed a bit of persuasion, but I paid him and he left," Nick said and laughed. Miley hit Nick's arm.

"I'm going to miss my flight thanks to you!" she exclaimed angrily and took out her BlackBerry. Nick took her hand and slipped the BlackBerry into her bag. "I came here to tell you something," he whispered. Miley froze. She felt his breath tickling her neck. That had happened multiple times since she had come home. "What would that be?" she asked and gulped. Nick leaned down closer to her ear and whispered, "I'm still in love with you."

"What about Mikayla?" Miley asked, closing her eyes as she spoke. "I ended it last night. The engagement's off. I picked Abi and you," Nick whispered. Miley gulped and closed her eyes tighter as she felt his hands place themselves on her hips.

"Kiss me," she whispered, so softly that Nick barely heard. But the moment he heard it, he smiled and swooped down. He met her lips in the most passionate kiss that she had ever experienced.

**A/N: I'm thinking this is the last chapter. If you want me to continue, I need 10 REVIEWS asking me to do so by FRIDAY. Thanks. Love you guys,**

**Charlotte xoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Enough people wanted me to continue, so I will. I have a few ideas. It'll mainly be fluff from now on, just so you know. So if you don't like reading fluff, then don't read on past this chapter.**

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 8.

Miley pulled away and smiled for a moment, then it faded. "I-I can't do this. I can't get back together with you. I'm sorry," she whispered. She slowly backed away. "What? Why not?" Nick asked. "Because ... I need to get over you. The sooner I do, the better it will be for me. We can't keep going back in circles, Nick. We both need to move on at some point. We need to let go of each other," Miley said. She wiped away a few tears with the back of her hand and she picked up her bags. "You can't go back to Tennessee. I need you, Miley. Please," Nick pleaded. "I won't go back to Tennessee. But you can keep Abi for a few days if you want. I'm just going to clear my head at my parents' house," Miley said. She carried her bags over to the curb and got a taxi.

Nick watched as the taxi drove away, back where they had both come from. He dropped to his knees and looked at the ring on his finger. The promise ring. He twisted it around, thinking about whether or not to take it off. He left the ring on and stood up. There was only one way to get rid of the pain he was going through. _I might as well get completely smashed_, he thought to himself as he wandered aimlessly to the bar across the street. He sat down on a stool and ordered himself a beer. He emptied the bottle in a single gulp and ordered another. When that beer finished, he ordered another. And another. And many more 'another's.

--

Miley walked into the house and was engulfed in a hug by Brandi. "You're not moving back to Tennessee!" she squealed. Miley smiled. "No, Brandi. I'm staying right here. But ... can you do me a favour? Promise you won't make me see Nick again?" she asked quietly. Brandi stared at her little sister. It was a big thing she was asking. "Brandi?" Miley asked. Brandi snapped out of her 'zone' and looked at Miley.

"That's a huge thing you're asking me to do, Miley. I'm sorry, but I can't make a promise I'll regret making. I'm sorry, Mile, but you'll have to do that on your own. I can't put you, myself or Nick through that kind of strain and hurt. I'm really sorry, sis," Brandi said, and she walked from the room. Miley sighed and rested her head on the table as she thought about what had happened out on the street. She picked up her vibrating BlackBerry and saw the name 'Nick' flashing across the screen. She sighed and answered it.

"Nick, what do you want? I thought I made myself clear on the street," she said wearily. "Um, hello, is this Miley?" Miley didn't recognise the voice. "Yes, I'm Miley. May I ask who I'm speaking to?" she asked, confused. "Um, I work at the bar across the street from the park. The man who owns this phone has finished 3 beers in the last 5 minutes, and he's been here for about a half hour. He refuses to stop. Could you come down here and get him, please? He's really drunk, ma'am. He's scaring away the other customers," the man said. "Nick's _drunk_?" Miley asked. She was shocked. Nick never drank alcohol unless he was really depressed.

"Very. No one will come to the bar. We have to go to the table to order the drinks. Could you please come and get him as soon as possible?" the man asked. Miley looked at her watch. 7.30pm. "Um, yeah, I'll be right there," Miley said. She hung up and walked to the bottom of the stairs. "Brandi, can I borrow your car?" she called into the living room. "Yeah, just bring it back in the condition you found it in!" Brandi called back and threw the keys out into the hallway. They landed on the floor. Miley picked them up and got into Brandi's car. She quickly sped down the road to the bar and walked in. She saw Nick slumped over the bar drinking another beer. She walked over to a barman.

"Uh, hi. I'm Miley. Someone called me about Nick being drunk?" she asked. The man nodded. "That was me. I'm Charlie. He keeps talking about you. I don't know what he's saying, though. It's kind of hard to hear," he said. Miley smiled. "Thanks for calling me. I'll get him home," she said, and she walked over to Nick. "Nick, come on. Let's get you home," she said. Nick looked at her, and she saw the pain in his eyes as he spoke, slurring his words. "W-Why do you care?" he slurred.

"Nick, come on. You need to go home and let these people have their drink in peace," she said quietly. "I love you! B-But you don't want me, do you? Y-You want some rich guy w-who works in a big building and has b-butlers and maids, d-don't you?! A-Am I not g-good enough anymore?!" he slurred. Miley closed her eyes and counted to ten. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "We'll have this conversation when you sober up. Now be a good boy and get up," she said. "W-Why don't you want me?" Nick whispered. Miley looked down. "I'm not having this conversation with a drunk man," Miley said softly and helped him up.

"G-Give me another b-beer!" Nick shouted. "Nick! Stop it. You never drink. What's gotten into you?" Miley asked softly. "I-I need you. But all you c-can do is t-turn me down," Nick said quietly. Miley looked up into Nick's eyes and saw the pain and hurt in his eyes. After all, she knew what the saying was. _A drunk man only says what a sober man is thinking_, she thought. She began to feel guilty but shook it off and put her arm around his shoulders, which was difficult considering the height difference.

"We'll have this conversation when you're having the biggest hangover of your life," she muttered and pulled him out and into Brandi's car. She helped him into the backseat and slipped into the driver's seat. Miley started the car and drove back towards their houses. When she pulled into her driveway and helped him towards his house, she suddenly realised Abigail was in his house and led him back towards her own. "W-Where are we going? W-Why aren't we g-going home?" he slurred. "I'm not letting our four year old daughter see her father drunk," Miley snapped and pulled him into her own house.

Brandi heard the door close and walked out to see Nick stumbling in with Miley. "Miles, what's wrong with Nick?" Brandi asked in a slightly frightened tone. "The fucking dick got himself drunk, and I'm not letting Abi see her dad drunk, so he's staying here tonight," Miley said and pulled him upstairs. She led him into her room, and pulled down the covers. She pulled off his shoes and helped him into her bed before pulling the covers up over him. "M-Miley ... I love you. I-I don't think I'll ever stop," Nick slurred. Miley smiled at him and kissed his forehead. "Go to sleep," she whispered and turned out the lights before walking downstairs to Brandi.

"Why the _fuck_ did Nick get himself drunk?!" Brandi snapped and walked into the kitchen. She poured them both a cup of coffee and handed Miley one. "I told him I couldn't get back together with him before I came back here. I think I really hurt him, Brandi. He thinks I don't want him. But the truth is, I want him more than anything I've ever wanted in my whole life. I think I need him. But I don't want Mikayla to hurt Abi because I got back together with her ex-fiancé," Miley said softly.

"Mikayla's _gone_, Miles. And do you honestly think Nick's going to let her near you. He let you go once, Mile. He won't do it again," Brandi said softly, and with those words, she left the room.

**a/n: i have 2 reasons to be super sorry. a) i'm super sorry that it's out so late!!! and b) i'm super sorry that it's so short. but i haven't posted in a couple of days and i wanted to get it out for you guys.**

**so, a cute little niley moment when she tucked him in :) aw :) i know the kiss made everyone think that niley would get back together, but that's so ... cliché. with me, you should expect the unexpected at time :D**

**so after i post this, i'm going to post a quick oneshot i wrote earlier today. **

**for all my youtube viewers who are reading this ::: did you see you and me? if you did, what did you think? if you didn't, go watch it! lol just kidding only watch it if you want to.**

**so can you all please leave nice llllloooonnnggg reviews and tell me WHAT you loved about the chapter, not just that you loved it. i want to know WHY you loved it.**

**love, charlotte xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**This chapter is rated M.**

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 9.

The next morning, Nick woke up. He tried to open his eyes, but it felt like he was lifting weights with his skin. He blinked in the sunlight that streamed through the window. He rubbed her eyes and sat up. He had a pounding headache as he leaned against the headboard. He heard a door closing softly, and he turned to see Miley walk through the door. "Miles, why am I in your room? What happened last night? The last thing I remember is going into the bar," Nick said. Miley smiled meekly at him and sat at the edge of the bed.

"You got drunk. The barman got your phone and called me. He asked me to pick you up, so I did. And then Abi's at your place, and I didn't want her to see her dad in that state, so I took you here. You were saying things that you would probably take back now if you could," Miley explained. She handed him a glass of water and an aspirin. He thanked her and took the aspirin with a sip of water. "What did I say last night?" he asked. Miley looked down. "You said you loved me, and that you don't think you'll ever stop. And that I didn't want you. You wanted to know why," she said softly.

"Mile ... I-" he began, but she cut him off. "You were drunk. I know you didn't mean a word of what you said. Don't worry about it," she said. She tried to smile, but it didn't work too well. She stood up and walked over to her dresser. "Um, I think I should get going," he said. He stepped out of the bed and slipped on his shoes. He stood up and walked over to her. He placed a hand on top of hers, which was rearranging all her jewellery on the top of the dresser. "For the record, even though I was drunk, I meant it when I said I'll never stop loving you," he said. With those words, he walked from the room. Miley's hands fell to her sides and she walked over to her bed. She sat down and stared into space as she thought of what he had said to her.

Was it possible for her to still love him? No, she couldn't. She literally couldn't. She was over him. Wasn't she? She had always thought of him while she was gone, but that necessarily didn't mean anything ... did it?

--

Nick walked into his house and was attacked by Abigail, who jumped on him. "DADDY! WHERE WERE YOU?!" she squealed. Nick winced because of his headache, but held her in his arms and carried her into the kitchen. "I was with your mom, kiddo," Nick said. Mrs. Jonas looked at Nick hopefully, and he shook his head. Mrs. Jonas sighed and left the room quietly. "Why were you with Mommy? I thought she went away?" Abigail asked. "I thought so too, Abs, but it seems not," Nick said sadly.

"Why are you all sad, Daddy? You saw Mommy. You're not s'posed to be sad," Abigail said. Nick sighed. "Baby girl, things happened last night that you'd be too young to understand, alright? But I promise you that, when you're older, I'll explain all you need to know about what happened," Nick said. Abigail nodded and looked up at her father. "Does Momma not want to be with you?" she asked. "Obviously not," Nick muttered to himself and looked at Abigail. "I don't know, baby," he said.

"Daddy ... will you take me to the park?" Abigail asked. "Of course, princess. Go get your shoes and jacket. I need a word with your uncle first," Joe said. He put Abigail on the ground and she scuttled away. Nick sighed and walked into the living room, where he saw Joe sitting on the couch, talking to Lilly. "Guys, can I talk to you?" he asked and sat on the armchair. "Shoot," Joe said. "Before you start, where were you last night?" Lilly asked.

"That's kind of what I wanted to ask you. I went after Miley, but she said she couldn't be with me. The last thing I remember is walking into the bar down the street from her office. This morning I woke up in Miley's bedroom with a killer hangover. I have absolutely no clue what happened. All Miley said was that I told her I loved her and that I'd never stop, and that I thought she didn't want me," Nick said. Joe looked at Nick. "The love part isn't a lie, is it?" he asked. Nick shook his head. "I think I meant every word I said last night," he replied. "A drunk man only says what a sober man is thinking," Lilly said wisely.

"Lils, you're her best friend. What do you think is going through her head right now?" Nick asked. Lilly looked at Nick. He looked like a lost puppy, trying to find its owner. "I don't know. I'd say she's just scared to get hurt again. She doesn't want to have to run away like she did last time," Lilly replied. "She didn't _have_ to run away last time. She decided that for herself. Without telling me she was carrying my daughter," Nick growled. "Nick, put yourself in your position. You had dumped her when she found out. Did you expect her to come and tell you she was _pregnant_?!" Lilly exclaimed. "It would have helped. It would have made me come back for her quicker!" Nick said. "You actually needed motivation?! I saw what both of you went through when _you_ broke _her _heart. She cried on her bathroom floor over you, and you locked yourself in your room. You needed each other, but you hurt her. Did you expect her to come running back the moment she saw that the test was positive?!" Lilly yelled.

"Lilly, calm," Joe said. Lilly shook her head. "Nick, you _deserve_ what she's doing to you. You deserve to be put in suspense. Compared to what Miley went through, you had it easy. She had to fend for herself. She was _alone_ in that delivery room the day Abi was born, because me and Joe's plane was late. And let's face it anyway, Nick. Would you have stayed with her if she had told you? Or would you have run away? She didn't want to ruin your life and lump you off with a kid. Hell, you wouldn't have handled it anyway. Don't you see? She left for_ you. _She thought it was _good _for _you_," Lilly said softly.

"How is leaving me with a broken heart good for me? When I finally plucked up the courage to go and find her, she had gone. She had left with our child inside her. I didn't even know. I would have handled it. I would have stayed with her through it all. Don't doubt that for a second, Lilly. I would have stood by her decisions and listened to everything she said. It wouldn't have ruined my life. It would have made me the happiest 18 year old on the planet. But I didn't get the chance to feel the emotion of joy that a man feels when he finds out he'll be a father. That experience was taken from me by the woman on this world that I love more than anything," Nick said.

"Guys, can we please just calm down? This isn't good for either of you. Miley can fight her own battles, Lilly. Nick, maybe you should be having this conversation with Miley herself instead of her best friend. You'll get more answers that way," Joe said. Nick sighed and turned around. He froze. Abigail was standing in the doorway with tears in her eyes. "Momma left you?" she whispered softly. "Baby girl ..." Nick said. Abigail shook her head as the tears escaped from her eyes. "You left Momma and she left you," she whispered. "Abs, it wasn't like that," Nick said. He stood up and walked over to her.

"Daddy, why can't you just tell me? I can handle it," Abigail said. Nick chuckled and lifted her up. "You certainly have your mother's brains. You're very mature for your age, Abs, I'll admit that. But sweetheart, you can't handle what happened between your mom and I. It's very mature. Beyond your maturity. Baby, it isn't a game. It's real. It's big. It's huge, in fact. It's a long story. Maybe in a few years, I'll explain it," Nick said. He stroked Abigail's hair as she looked at him for a moment. "Fine," she mumbled grumpily. Then, suddenly, a smile popped onto her face. "PARK TIME!"

--

"Brandi, I don't know what to do. He said he'd always love me. But this time ... he wasn't drunk. And I love him too, but I just can't get hurt again," Miley said. "Sweetie, the 'getting hurt' factor doesn't even come into it. You love him, right?" Brandi asked. "Beyond belief," Miley said softly. "And he loves you, doesn't he?" Brandi asked. "So he says," Miley said. "Then nothing should stand in the way of love," Brandi said. Miley smiled.

"Wow, Brandi, that's deep. Especially for you," Miley said and giggled. Brandi hit her sister's arm playfully. "Honey, I'm deep all the time. Ooh! Muffins!" Brandi ran over to the kitchen counter and grabbed one of Mrs. Stewart's homemade muffins. "Yeah, Brandi, real deep," Miley giggled. She rolled her eyes playfully and walked out to the front garden. Nick was carrying Abigail past the driveway towards the park. Abigail noticed Miley.

"MOMMY!" she screamed. Nick let her down. Abigail raced over to her mother and hugged her legs tightly. Miley laughed lightly. "Hey there, sweetie. Having a good time at your dad's?" she asked as she lifted Abigail up. "Yes, Mommy. He's taking me to the park!" Abigail said. Nick walked over and smiled. "We have a pretty amazing little girl," he said. "Yeah, we do," Miley said and kissed Abigail's head. "Daddy, can Momma come with us?" Abigail asked. "Whatever your mom wants, kiddo," Nick said and looked at Miley.

"I don't know, sweetie. I have some work to do," Miley said. "Please, Mom? Please come with me and Daddy. It'll make Daddy happy again," Abigail begged. Miley sighed. "Fine. Let me go get my jacket," she said and walked inside. "Brandi, I'm going out with Nick and Abi. I'll be back later," she called. Miley grabbed her jacket and leather purse. She slipped her BlackBerry into her pocket and walked outside, where she saw Nick holding Abigail in his arms and laughing with her. Miley smiled to herself and walked over.

"Hey, Abs, how about you run back to my house and get that ball in Frankie's room?" Nick asked. Abigail ran across the gardens and into the Gray house. Nick turned to Miley. "I meant what I said this morning," he said softly. "I never said you didn't mean it," Miley replied and looked at her nails. "Miles ... I don't think I'll ever be able to forget what we had. I don't think I'll ever stop wanting you back," Nick whispered. Miley looked at him with teary eyes. "Stop doing this to me!" she snapped and wiped a stray tear away with the back of her hand.

"Miley ... I can't do this. I can't sit back and let you walk away from me again. I need you in my life like I need the air I breathe. Miley, you're my life. My everything. The years I spent without you were the worst of my life. Now it's worse. I have to live beside you and know that you don't want me anymore. How do you expect me to live with that?" Nick begged. Miley felt the tears begin to pour down her cheeks. "Don't ever think that I don't want you. I just ... I'm not ready to get back with you," Miley whispered back. Nick wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb and smiled softly at her.

"Mile ... it's been four years. I've healed from the pain I caused us both before. Haven't you?" Nick whispered. Miley shook her head. "I still haven't gotten over the fact that we created something as amazing as a child. How do you expect me to get over what happened between us?" she asked. "Maybe if you started going out with me again ... then you wouldn't need to get over what happened," Nick replied. He stroked her hair and stared at her, awaiting her reaction as patiently as he could.

"I don't know, Nick," Miley whispered softly. Nick glanced around and saw Abigail coming, so he quickly kissed Miley's cheek. "Think about it," he said softly into her ear, and he pulled away when Abigail came closer. He kneeled down to her level and smiled at her. "Hey, sweetheart. Did you get the ball?" he asked. Abigail nodded. Nick picked her up and started walking, and then he turned to Miley. "You coming?" he asked while smiling. Miley quickly nodded and walked after them.

--

At the park, Abigail was running around the playground while Nick and Miley sat on a bench in silence as they watched their beautiful daughter scuttle around. Nick glanced at Miley and sighed. "Mile, what I said wasn't meant to make things awkward between us," he said softly. Miley nodded. "I know. I'm just thinking about what you said earlier. You told me to think about it, remember?" Miley asked. Nick nodded. "What's going through your mind?" he asked. "That I should give you a second chance," she said casually. Nick looked at her with a goofy grin on his face. She smiled softly at him. "Leave Abs with your mom tonight and come to my place. We should talk," she said. Nick was about to speak, but Abigail ran over.

"Daddy! Will you come play ball with me?" she asked. She put her hands on her father's knee for support and started jumping up and down, her curls bouncing. Nick looked at her eyes. Her beautiful eyes. He smiled and looked at Miley, who nodded. "Come on, then, princess," he said. "Momma, you come too!" Abigail said. "Yeah, Miles, come on," Nick said and chuckled. Miley gave him a look and stood up. "Come on then," she said and walked over with them to the grass.

Nick threw the ball to Abigail, who caught it and looked extremely happy with herself. "MOMMY! DADDY! I CAUGHT IT!" she screamed. Miley smiled and ruffled her curls playfully. "Well done, baby girl," she said encouragingly and looked at Nick, who was staring at them both with extreme love in his eyes. Then his eyes focused on Miley, and she saw the lust staring at her. The want. The need. She smiled to herself and looked down, blushing. She knew by the look in his eyes that every word he had said about loving her; he meant it.

Nick looked back to Abigail, who was attempting to throw the ball back, but failing. He jogged over to her and bent down beside her. "Here, princess, I'll show you," he said. He put his arms around her and showed her how the throw the ball. "I throwed it!" she said happily. "Sweetie, watch your grammar. It's I _threw_," Miley warned. "Yes, Momma," Abigail said. She smiled and her dad and hugged his legs. "Thank you, Daddy," she chanted.

--

That night, Nick walked across the two gardens and up to Miley's front door. He looked down at himself. He was wearing black dress pants, a white shirt, and a black skinny tie. He had changed out of the clothes he had worn to the park because he had jumped into his pool with Abigail, fully clothed, when they had gotten home from the park. He rang the doorbell and waited for what seemed like an eternity, until the door finally opened to reveal Miley standing there.

She too had changed. She was wearing a summer dress that ended just above the knee. It was pink and white and it had spaghetti straps. She was wearing flats with it, and her hair was flowing down her back in its natural curls. She smiled at him and pulled him inside by his tie. Nick smiled as she closed the door and leaned against it. "We're alone," Miley whispered. She bit her lip. Nick smiled. Miley walked over to Nick and wrapped her arms around his neck, and she immediately started kissing him. He smiled into it and said against her lips, "I thought you wanted to talk." Miley shook her head and started nibbling his earlobe. "Screw talking," she muttered, and started kissing his neck. Nick laughed and gently pushed her away.

"Miley ... we need to talk. As much as I want to do this with you, we need to fix this," he said. Immediately, he regretted saying it when he felt Miley remove her soft lips from his neck. "Why do you always have to be right?" she moaned. "I wish I wasn't this time," he muttered. Miley smiled and took his hand, and she led him into her living room. Nick sat down beside her on the couch, and Miley turned to look at him. "So, what are we going to do?" she asked softly. "I told you what I want, I thought," he replied. "But what's the _exact_ thing you want, Nick?" Miley asked softly.

Nick sighed. "I don't know. I want you and Abi. I want to marry you. I want to have another kid with you. I want to be there for that child. I want to be a good dad to Abigail. I want to live with you, and wake up to see your face every morning. I want the last thing I do at night to be kissing you, or tucking Abs into bed. I want so much that I couldn't have for the past four years," he said. Miley smiled softly at him.

"I feel the same way," she whispered. Nick smiled at Miley and took her hand in his. "Miley, I'm done letting you walk out of my life. I need you here. You're like my air. I literally can't let you go anymore," he replied. Miley smiled and rested a hand on his cheek, softly caressing it with her feather-light touch. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you too," he replied and kissed her softly. Miley kissed back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Nick deepened it and gently pushed her onto her back. He hovered over her while turning it into making out. Miley giggled into the kiss.

Nick moved down to her neck while slowing slipping his hand up her dress, up her thigh, and to her stomach. He rubbed it slowly while Miley moaned and bit her lip. She threw her head back and wrapped her legs around his waist. Nick slipped her strap of her shoulder and began to kiss the spot where her strap had been. Miley pulled off Nick's shirt and ran her hands through his hair. Nick pulled down the zip of her dress and pulled it off her. They both slipped off their shoes. Nick stood up and picked Miley up. They locked the front door quickly and raced up the stairs together.

--

Nick lay Miley down on the bed while kissing her. He hovered over her as she pulled his jeans off. He slipped his hands behind her back and unclipped her bra. He swiftly pulled it off her. He kissed down her chest to her stomach. Miley moaned and pulled him up to her. "Just do it," she whispered huskily in his ear. Nick gulped and closed his eyes. He slowly ran his hands past her curves to the elastic of her underwear. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "You sure, Mile?" he whispered. She nodded. She slowly slipped his boxers off while he slipped off her panties. He slowly eased himself into her. Miley moaned in pleasure and dug her nails into his back.

--

When they were finished, Nick rolled off Miley and turned to her. "Babe ... I haven't felt that good in a long time," he panted. Miley smiled and ran her hands over his chest. "Same here, baby. But ... how are we meant to tell Abs about this?" Miley asked.

"I think she's a bit young to know how sex works, Miles," Nick replied and stroked Miley's hair while smirking. Miley smacked his six-pack playfully and smiled. "I didn't mean that. I _meant_ how are we supposed to tell her that her parents are back together?" Miley asked and smiled at Nick as he thought for a moment.

"Maybe we should just take her out to dinner some night or something and tell her. I don't want to hide it from our own daughter, Mile," Nick said. He rubbed circles on Miley's back with his finger and Miley smiled to herself and bit her lip. "I don't either. But how do we tell a four year old that her mom and dad got back together?" Miley asked. Nick chuckled slightly. "That's a question I honestly don't know the answer to, Mile."

**A/N: I know people have been waiting a LONG time for Niley. Lol. But so was I, to be honest. And at the start of Chapter 8, I _had_ them back together, but then I thought, 'where's the drama in that?' So I changed it to her not being able to get back with him and blah blah blah. You know what happened last time. Watch my YouTube series if you don't already. And if you do ... have you watched Episode 3 yet? If you have, tell me what you think of it. Tell me what you thought of this chapter. Don't just tell me you loved it. Tell me WHY you loved it. WHAT made you love it. It would mean a lot to me. **

**So, next chapter, Nick and Miley tell Abigail about them getting back together, and something slightly ... unexpected, happens. I might edit the unexpected part out of my idea though. I guess you'll just have to wait until I post a new chapter :P**

**ILYSFM, guys. The reviews are amazing! KEEP REVIEWING!!!**

**Love, C xoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END!!!**

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 10.

Miley jumped out of the bed and slipped on her satin dressing gown. She threw Nick his boxers and jeans as she did the tie on her robe. "Come on. Brandi, Noah and Jackson will be home soon. I don't want them to know what we just did," she said softly. She opened the curtains after Nick had slipped on his boxers and stood up. Miley had her back to him as she stood in front of the mirror. Nick walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck as lightly as he could, teasing and taunting her. She moaned and twisted her arm back to run her hand through Nick's hair. "Are you ashamed or something?" he whispered into her ear.

Miley played with the curls at the back of his neck and turned to face him. "Not that I'm ashamed. But honestly ... do you want your brothers to know that you just had sex with me?" Miley asked. Nick's eyes widened and he shook his head vigourously. "So if they see us naked, they'll know we had sex. So we have to get our stuff from downstairs," Miley said. She kissed his cheek softly and took his hands. "I love you," she whispered softly. Nick smiled gently. "I love you too," he replied. He brought his hand to her face and stroked her cheek fondly while he stared into her eyes. Miley smiled and buried her face into his chest, but she quickly removed it.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked and stroked her hair. "You stink of sweat," she replied. Miley intertwined their fingers and giggled. "Well, you kept me going for a pretty long time, babe," Nick said to Miley. He stroked her palm with his thumb and kissed her forehead. Miley smiled and whispered, "We should go and get our clothes." Nick smiled and pulled her down the stairs. Miley giggled as he pulled her into the living room. She slipped off her robe and pulled her dress on over her underwear. Nick watched as her slim and slender body slipped into the dress. She tried to reach the zipper, but failed. "Nicky, can you get the zipper for me?" she asked as Nick pulled on his shirt. He walked over to her and slowly pulled up her zipper.

"Miley ..." he whispered softly in her ear. He heard her moan quietly as he slid his hand up her thigh and in between to her legs. She turned around and took his hand from underneath her dress. "Nick ... we don't have time for that right now. I think we should tell Abigail right now," she said. Nick smiled and slid his hands down her sides. "What, don't you think we could stay here for a bit longer?" he asked. Miley smiled and slapped his hands away playfully. "Dream on, lover boy. I need to tell my little girl that her daddy's here to stay," she replied. Nick smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. He gently pressed his forehead to Miley's. "I love you," he whispered softly. "I love you too," Miley replied. Nick kissed her cheek quickly and pulled away.

Nick took her hand and grabbed his phone, which had slipped from his pocket. He slipped it back inside his pocket. He looked at her and took her hands. "You ready to tell Abigail?" Nick asked gently. Miley nodded. She couldn't speak. Her throat was blocked from the lump forming at the back of her throat. She had no idea how Abigail would react. She just knew one thing. Always expect the unexpected with Abigail Gray.

--

Abigail was sitting on Joe's lap. "Uncle Joey?" she asked innocently. Joe looked at her with squinted eyes. "What are you up to, Miss. Abi?" he asked. Abigail giggled. "Uncle Joey, I'm not up to anything," she replied. Joe ruffled her brown curls and smiled at the little girl staring up at him. "You look just like your mom, kid. Except those eyes. They're just like -" Joe began, but Abigail cut him off. "Daddy's. I know. Grandma told me," she said and smiled at her uncle. Joe nodded and smiled at his niece. "That's right, kiddo," he said.

"Mommy said Daddy won't ever leave us again. Was she telling the truth?" Abigail asked. Joe looked at her face and the look of fright and worry etched on her face. He knew that Abigail had grown attached to her father, and didn't ever want to let him go. But Joe knew he couldn't lie to the little four year old sitting before him. "Abs, I don't know. I highly doubt that he'd leave you now. He loves you with everything he has," Joe said. Abigail smiled. "Does the Wicked Witch know that Daddy loves my mommy now?" she asked. Joe chuckled. "I think so, little girl," he said.

Abigail smiled, and her smile grew wider when she looked at the door. "MOMMY! DADDY!" she screamed. She jumped from Joe's lap and ran over to her parents. Joe stood up and smiled. He looked at Nick, who smiled and nodded. Joe smiled back and said, "I'll leave you alone with Abs." He slipped past Miley and out of the room. Nick picked Abigail up and walked over to the couch with her and Miley. "Abi, sweetie, remember that time I told you about your mom and I?" Nick asked softly.

"Yeah, Daddy," Abigail said angelically. "Princess ... how do you feel about me and your dad being that way with each other ... again?" Miley asked. Abigail smiled widely. "REALLY?! Mommy, does that mean Daddy can live with us now?!" Abigail exclaimed. Miley smiled and looked at Nick. "If your dad wants to," she replied and stroked Abigail's hair. Nick smiled back at Miley and then looked at Abigail. "You know I'd love to live with you and your mother, Abs," he said to the small child sitting on his lap.

"When are you coming?!" Abigail asked excitedly. "I think we should find an apartment or something first, Abs," Miley replied with a smile. Abigail jumped down from her father's lap and started dancing with joy. Nick watched in awe at the way the little girl danced. "Wow," he murmured. "One of the things she got from me. Co-ordination," Miley said. She giggled and smiled at Nick. "Oh yeah?" he asked and smirked at her as he began to tickle her. Miley laughed and jumped up before running off. "JOE! WATCH ABIGAIL!" Nick yelled. Joe walked into the room, and Nick ran out after Miley. He soon caught up with her outside.

Nick grabbed Miley's waist and picked her up, spinning her around. He fell back onto the grass with her, and landed on top of her. He smiled and looked into her eyes. "Hey," he breathed. Miley smiled and brushed a curl out of his face. "Hey," she whispered back and looked into his eyes. Nick leaned in softly and was about to kiss her, but he was interrupted when he heard squealing. He turned his head and saw Lilly happy dancing on the pavement. "OH. EM. GEE! NILEY! NILEY!" Emily squealed and ran inside.

Nick and Miley laughed, and Nick turned back to Miley. He slowly leaned in closer to her. She felt his breath tickling her skin, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Miley's breath caught in her throat as Nick spoke softer than before, simply breathing the words out huskily. "Where were we?" he breathed. His lips were centimetres from hers. She could already feel her lips tingling from the kiss that was soon to come. He was about to place his lips on hers when there was a scream. Nick groaned and snapped, "What now?" He turned his head and saw Noah, Brandi, Mrs. Stewart, and Mrs. Gray all standing in a line, staring at the couple.

"Nicholas!" Mrs. Gray squealed. Nick stood up as his mother ran over to him and engulfed in a hug. "My baby got the girl!" she said. Nick groaned. "Mom, we were kind of in the middle of something," Nick said. He turned and saw Miley had stood up, and was talking with her mother and sisters quietly. She glanced over at him and smiled before turning back to her family. "Nicholas ... you got the girl," Mrs. Gray whispered to him and looked at her son proudly.

"Mom .. I haven't felt this good since before graduating high school. It feels amazing to know that she's finally mine again. I can have her and Abi to myself. No distractions. No Jake, no Mikayla, no nothing. Just me and my girls," Nick said softly as he stared lovingly at Miley. Mrs. Gray smiled. "Sweetie, I'm happy for you," she said softly and hugged him again. Nick smiled. "Thanks, Mom," he replied, and he wandered over to Miley and slipped his arms around her waist from behind. "Babe, I have an errand to run. I'll be back later," he said. Miley turned his arms and smiled. "OK," she said. She gave him a peck quickly on the lips and he smiled. "Bye, babe," he said and ran over to his car.

--

Mrs. Gray walked into the house with Miley and Mrs. Stewart, and Brandi and Noah. "Oh, Miley. I'm so happy for you," she said as they all walked into the kitchen. Mrs. Stewart helped her best friend get coffee cups from the cupboard as Noah put the coffee machine on. Miley smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Gray. I just ... I can't believe it's really happening. This time yesterday, I was planning to go to Tennessee to get away from him. But now I can't stand being apart," Miley said. Brandi looked at her sister and smiled.

"Mile, I can tell by the way he looks at you that he loves you. He loves you like he loves his life. I doubt that I've seen him this happy since you graduated. He's ecstatic to get you back. I can see it in his eyes. After high school was a bump in the road. But it's given you strength and independence. And now, you can give Abigail good advice when she meets her first love. And now, Nick has the chance to scare him away," she said. Miley smiled at her sister and hugged her.

"Thanks, Brands," she murmured into her older sister's ear. Brandi smiled and hugged her back. "Anytime, baby girl," she murmured back. The kitchen door burst open, and the girls pulled away to see Joe carrying Abigail. "The little monster wants her mom," Joe said. He handed Abigail to her mother. Abigail buried her face into Miley's neck. "Abi? Sweetie? What's wrong?" Miley asked. "I'm tired, Mommy," Abigail muttered. "Baby, let's go to bed," Miley said to the young girl in her arms. She carried her up the stairs and laid her down in the bed. She kissed Abigail's forehead and put her favourite teddy bear beside her. "Baby, do you want to change into your pyjama's?" Miley asked. Abigail shook her head as her eyes drooped closed, and the little girl fell into a deep slumber.

Miley smiled at her little princess and stood up. She shut out the lights and began walking down the hallway again, but she stopped outside Nick's door. _One look wouldn't hurt_, she thought to herself. Miley pushed the mahogany door open and slipped through the crack before closing the door quietly behind her. She looked around and smiled. It was pretty much the same as it had ever been. Except, now, there was a large cardboard box sitting in the corner with a blue notebook sitting on top. She walked over and turned the lamp on as she picked up the notebook.

Miley opened it slowly and read the first page. In Nick's neat cursive was her name. _Miley_ was written neatly and romantically written. She smiled and stroked the picture of her and Nick that he had stuck down beside her name. She opened the next page and gasped. There was the lyrics to a song, with his cursive at the top of the page as the title. She read the words, _Still In Love With You_ **(Yes it's a JB song which I don't own)**. She scanned the lyrics as tears came to her eyes. She slowly flipped over the page and read the words of a song called _Tell Her_ **(Jesse McCartney song. I don't own)**. Miley quickly flipped through the book. Songs called _Can't Have You, The Man Who Can't Be Moved_, _Breakeven_. The list went on. **(The first song is JB and the other two are The Script. I own none of them.)**

Miley stared at the pages as she flipped through the book. At that moment, she realised Nick had been just as hurt by the break-up as she had been. That was the moment that she realised that Nick Gray had been living it tough for 4 years as well. "What are you doing?" Miley spun around at the sound of a voice behind her, and she saw Nick. "Nick ... why didn't you tell me?" she asked. Nick sighed and sat down on the bed beside her. "I knew you'd find out eventually about the songs," he whispered. "Nick? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. Nick ignored her question.

"I suppose you want the whole story, so I'll give it to you. From the day you left onwards," he began. He took a small breath and continued his story. "I don't want you to get creeped out, Mile. But this is how I felt. The day you left – the day I went to get you back – I was broken. I went to your house and your parents said you were gone. You had left. I didn't know what to do, so I came back here and locked myself up. I wouldn't talk to anyone, and I wouldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. I wouldn't leave my room at all. My family started getting worried about me. The day you left, I wrote a song. The song is the first one in that book. And so every day since the day you left me here in Los Angeles, I've written something about you. Sometimes it's a song, sometimes it's a poem. Sometimes it's a simple letter I'll never send. They all were pleading for you to take me back, and about how much I love you. I know it sounds desperate ... but I couldn't live without doing something to vent my feelings and emotions. And then I moved to New York. I had barely even said goodbye to my family. I just said a quick 'bye' and left for the airport with my bags. I was acting immaturely, but I couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle knowing that I was living anywhere near something to do with you. I couldn't live with it. So I decided to run away from my problems and moved to New York. I got there and ... I don't know. I didn't know if I was crazy or if it was just my emotions playing up on me. But it seemed like every girl I met had your face implanted over their own. I stayed in my apartment most of the time, though. Usually I just sat in front of the piano, writing songs and biting my tongue to stop myself from screaming. The tears stung my eyes every night. I never slept. I just sat up crying every single night for three years. Then Joe came to visit me. I didn't know he had been going to visit you in Tennessee with Abi. He knew that you didn't want anything to do with me, so he told me to move on and get over you. He put everything I had ever written about you in a box and took it back here with him. It's all in that box the notebook was sitting on. I kept the notebook, and everything else is in a bag. I met Mikayla. Joe told me to go for it. So I did. I thought I loved her, but it was nothing compared to how I felt for you. I thought I had moved on. I thought I was over you. And then ... then you came back, and all my old feelings came flooding back to me. I fell for you all over again. Mikayla tried to stop it as much as she could, I knew that. But I couldn't help loving you. I tried as hard as I could to make it seem like I was over you, but nothing worked. And then I realised I couldn't do it anymore when you said you were moving back to Tennessee. So I ended it with Mikayla. Now the songs aren't break-up ones or ones about heartbreak. They're all just about ... falling in love with the girl you're meant to be with."

Miley looked from Nick to the notebook, then back at Nick. "I ... I can't believe you wrote something every day," she whispered. Nick saw her eyes glance at the box briefly, so he said, "Miles, you can look in the box if you want. It was all for you anyway." Miley knelt down beside the box and opened it up as he knelt down beside her. The box had stacks of loose pages as well as old pieces of jewellery and old memories and pictures. She picked up one of the pages that had been neatly tucked into an envelope. "Can I?" she whispered to Nick. He nodded, and she sat back and opened up the envelope, and began to slowly read the letter.

_Dear Miley,_

_I can honestly say that I am falling apart inside without you. You have been my oxygen for the past few years. I don't think I can live without you anymore. I know I was a dumbass when I told you I was too young for our relationship. I regret saying anything now. I can't believe I actually said that stuff to you. I regret it. And now you're gone. I blew it, I know. And even though I know you hate me and I know I don't deserve you, I still want to hold you in my arms again and kiss you. To breathe in your smell and to tell you I love you. Those days are gone, though. You're God-knows-where. I've been falling apart inside and out, Miley. I don't speak, sleep or eat. I only eat during about 2 day periods. I miss you, baby. You'll always be my baby, whether you're a metre away, or 1000 miles away. I love you, Miley._

_Nick_

Miley looked at Nick with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why didn't Joe tell me you were feeling like this? Why didn't he tell me that you were putting yourself through that crap because of me?" she asked softly. Nick wrapped his arms around her. "I don't know, baby. All I know is that Joe was keeping your best interests at heart. I know that he loves you, and he was simply trying to protect you from the truth. He knew that you would blame yourself if he told you how I was acting," Nick replied. He stroked her hair and breathed in her scent.

"It's all my fault! If I hadn't left, you wouldn't have -" Miley began, but Nick cut her off. "Miley. Stop blaming yourself. None of it is your fault. Sure, if you had stayed, we probably would've gotten back together. But that doesn't matter now. All that matters is that we're together now. With our beautiful daughter. The little girl we love. The past is over. It's finished. All that matters now is the present time," he said softly.

Miley smiled weakly at him, and without saying another word, they both leaned in and kissed each other.

**A/N: READ! IMPORTANT! Hey, guys. I'm sorry it took a while. I'm kinda mad. After what I said in the last chapter about reviews and stuff, and telling me what you loved about the chapter, some people (not mentioning names) still simply said 'loved it'. Seriously? Are you kidding me? So I came to a decision. If people don't start leaving good reviews, I'm quitting FanFiction. If people love the story so much, why can't they leave me a simple review, telling me WHY they love it. I work for HOURS trying to get these chapters finished for you guys. It takes you SECONDS to leave the type of review I want you to leave. When someone just says, 'loved it', I feel like all my hard work was for NOTHING. So my final decision is that if even ONE person just says 'loved it' on their review for this chapter, then I'm seriously going to think about quitting. Make your choice. It's down to you guys now. So please review and tell me WHAT you loved about the chapter, and WHY it intrigued you and such. Thank you to those who tell me why they love it. It means a lot. So the people who don't – if you leave a review like your last one, then you'll have quite a few people mad at you, because I'll be considering quitting this site and focusing on YouTube. **

**Since this could possibly be the last chapter, then I may as well say goodbye. So ... bye, I guess. Thank you for your support. And if this isn't the last chapter, then ignore the 'bye' part and read the 'thank you' part.**

**Love, Charlotte xoxo**


	11. Chapter 11

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 11.

Miley walked down the stairs with Nick and into the Gray's kitchen. Their mothers smiles warmly at them, and the Stewart sisters winked at their sister and walked into the living room, where Frankie and Kevin were sitting. Nick pulled Miley through the kitchen and into the conservatory. He pulled her onto his lap after he sat down on an armchair. Miley smiled at him and smoothly rubbed his cheeks softly and gently. "I love you," she whispered to him.

"I love you too," he replied softly. He rubbed her thigh softly with the pad of his thumb. Miley bit her lip and closed her eyes. Nick placed a feather-light kiss on her neck and then placed another one on her collarbone. Miley moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Nick moved up to her neck and flipped them over so he was hovering over her in the armchair while he kissed her neck. There was a cough behind them, and Miley pushed Nick off her. Nick landed on the floor with a thump.

"Um, hey, Frankie," Miley said quickly. She straightened out her clothes and stood up as Nick got up too and stood beside her. Frankie eyed them oddly and spoke. "Hey. Uh, Nick, Mom wants you. And Miles, your mom and sisters are going home and they want to know if you're coming," he said. Miley glanced at Nick. "Um, I think I'll stay with Nick for a while, if that's okay," she replied softly. She took Nick's hand in hers and squeezed before smiling warmly at him. "You know you're always welcome here, babe," he said to her and smiled back. Miley grinned and kissed his cheek.

"Um, okay, then. But please save the love fest for when I leave," Frankie said. Nick gave him a look, and Frankie flashed him a cheeky grin before leaving the room swiftly. "Alone yet again," Miley said to Nick softly. Nick smiled and kissed her forehead. "I think there are some things you should be telling me, Miley Stewart," he whispered in her ear. She sat down on the couch, and he sat beside her. "What do you want to know?" she asked softly. "What happened in your life when you left? Exactly what happened. You just gave me a brief description. I told you, not it's your turn," Nick said. Miley sighed and began her story.

"The day I arrived in Tennessee was amazing. It felt so good to be home with the fresh country air and the warm breeze. I loved it. I went back to the farm my parents own, where I grew up. I stayed there and then Abi came. Your parents and brothers came down with my family to see her. Although it seemed to everyone else that I was happier than ever, I was slowly dying inside. The only thing that kept me going and kept me sane was Abigail. I don't know how she did it, or what it was, but every time I looked at her I felt the will to live. I think the fact that she was the last connection with you that I had left. So we stayed there until she was four. Our families kept coming down to visit us. I cried myself to sleep every night, and I had your pictures everywhere. Abs didn't understand why I was so ... depressed. Then she asked me who the man in the picture was. I said she didn't need to know. So we moved back and here we are," Miley said softly. Nick felt his jaw drop. "I-I did that to you? I hurt you that badly?" he whispered.

"Nick ... you have to understand that none of that was your fault. I did that myself. I pushed away everything by moving back to Tennessee without telling you. If anyone hurt anyone else, it was me. I hurt you. I left you without telling you that I was having your child. And I am so, so sorry that I did that. But you have to understand how scared I was at the time. I was eighteen years old and I had gotten pregnant with my ex-boyfriend's kid. What would you do?" Miley asked. Nick smiled lightly and wrapped his arms around her.

"I would have done the same thing, babe. It doesn't even matter anymore anyway. I'm with you, and we have our gorgeous baby girl. Everything I need is right here. The past is the past. None of us can go back on our mistakes. So let's just live with what we have now," Nick replied softly. Miley smiled played with Nick's fingers. "I'd like that," she replied. Nick smiled and kissed her head while he stroked her hair with his free hand. Miley smiled again and let go of his hand.

"I love you," she whispered. "I love you too," Nick replied with a smile on his face. For the rest of the night, they sat in that position and talked, often sneaking in quick kisses. The night was a very peaceful one. At the end of the most wonderful night they had ever had (apart from the night Abigail was conceived), they fell asleep together on the couch.

--

The next morning, Miley woke up to the sun streaming through the glass of the conservatory. She yawned and looked at Nick, who was sleeping deeply beside her. She smiled and caressed his cheek for a moment before slipping out of his arms and walking over to the coffee table. She saw a notepad and wrote a quick note before walking from the room and out of the house.

--

Nick woke up and saw a note sitting on the couch where Miley had been. He quickly scanned the words. _Gone to tell my boss I'm not leaving after all. I'll be back around lunch. Jackson said yesterday that he'd take Abigail out with him and Sara. I'll see you when I get back. I love you. - Miley xoxo_. Nick smiled and looked out the conservatory window. Across the street, there was a moving van. Nick frowned slightly. He didn't know people were moving in across the street. He didn't even know that the old owners were selling and moving out. He walked into the kitchen and saw his mother and brothers.

"Who's moving in across the street?" he asked. "The Matthews family sold their house to Mr. Matthews' brother. I think he said that he was called John, and his wife was called Anne. They have two sons called Thomas and James and two daughters called Carolyn and Eleanor. Mrs. Matthews said they were a nice family with good morals. Except for James. She warned us to watch out for him. Bit of a troublemaker," Mrs. Gray said. Nick nodded. "Are the girls hot?" Frankie asked. "Does Noah ring a bell?" Kevin asked. Frankie sighed. "Oh yeah," he said.

"What's wrong with Noah?" Joe asked. "We're going through a bad patch that I don't think we'll make it out of," Frankie replied. "You're eighteen years old. You don't have bad patches," Kevin said. "Actually, they do. I mean, look at Miles and I. We went through a four year rough patch where I had a daughter I didn't know about, and we were both miserable without each other," Nick said. "What are you saying? That I'll get Noah pregnant like you did to Miles?" Frankie asked. Nick chuckled at his brother's confusion.

"I'm saying you will make it through this patch with Noah," he replied softly. Frankie nodded and sighed. "She's making it so hard to be with her. She's convinced I'm with another girl every time I leave her alone. I just .. I don't know what to do," he said.

"It'll be alright," Kevin said, and he, Joe and Frankie left the room. Nick smiled as he looked at his phone to see a text from Miley. He tapped his iPhone to read it, and his grin grew wider once he did.

_Make sure the house is empty tonight. I want some alone time with you. Love you. Miley xox_

Nick grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge as he walked past and then he walked out into the living room with a huge smile on his face as he thought about all the amazing things that could happen that night.

**A/N: I know it is WAY too short, and WAY too late, but I've been busy. I broke my ankle last week, and I was sick yesterday, and still am. So I am super sorry. But please forgive me. Also, I have something else to say. I got nominated in the NJK awards. I can't remember what it was for though =/ But if you want to know, go to (www).(njkawards).(webs).(com) But that's without the brackets. Thanks. I was surprised to be nominated. It's truly an honour :)**

**I'm, like, addicted to the song Love Is On Its Way by JB. It's pretty awesome. Also, does anyone know when Miles To Go is coming out in the UK, if it's coming out at all? Because my mum's friend is going over there in a couple of weeks and she said that if I wanted, she'd get it for me while she was there. And I wanted to know how long I'd have to wait if I wanted to get it over here. Thanks**

**I love you guys sooo much. The support has been AMAZING! I can't believe so many people like my stories and my writing. It means so much to me. Thank you all so much. **

**3+ WORDS IN A REVIEW, PLEASE!!! Thank you. Love you, guys. Love, Charlotte xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter is rated M.**

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 12.

"But Daddy! I want to spend tonight with you and Mommy!" Abigail moaned as Nick drove her from the park to Miley's house. "Sorry, princess, but your mommy told me to bring you to your Uncle Jackson and he'd watch you tonight," Nick replied. Abigail crossed her arms and pouted. Nick looked at her in the rearview mirror and sighed. "Abs, you know that I'd let you stay with us if I thought you could handle it. But baby girl, you're four years old. We'll be up late doing ... grown up stuff," Nick said.

Abigail sighed. "But I just was with Uncle Jackson and Sara!" she moaned. "Abigail Madison Gray, no more complaining or I won't take you and your mom out to lunch tomorrow," Nick said sternly. Abigail sighed again and crossed her arms again. "But Daddy!" she said. "No buts, Abigail," Nick replied. Abigail sighed. "Fine," she grumbled, and leaned back into her seat.

Nick pulled into the Gray's driveway and got out. He walked round to Abigail's door and opened it. She was still sitting with her arms crossed. Nick sighed and undid her seatbelt and lifted her up. "I love you, Daddy," she sweetly as he carried her over to the Stewart's house. "Ha, nice try, princess," he chuckled as he knocked on the door.

Noah answered and smiled at them. "Hey, Nick. Hey, Abs," she said. "Hi, Aunt Noah," Abigail said. She looked at her father as Noah took her out of Nick's arms. Nick smiled at her and shook his head. "Don't let her get to you. Keep her away from my house at all costs," Nick muttered to Noah, so low that it was inaudible for Abigail.

It took a few moments for Noah to get what he meant, but soon, she did and she made a disgusted face. "Ew! You little nasties!" she exclaimed. Nick chuckled and kissed Abigail's head. "I'll see you in the morning, Abs. I love you," he said. Abigail nodded and sighed. "I love you too, Daddy," she said. Nick smiled at her one more time and turned to Noah again.

"Remember. Keep her away from my house," he said, and he turned on his heel and stalked back towards his house. "Nick?!" Noah called. Nick turned to look at his girlfriend's little sister. "Yeah?" he asked. "Um, where's Frankie tonight?" she asked nervously. "He's going to bowling with some friends, and I think they're going to a diner after," Nick replied. Noah looked down. "Are there girls there?" she asked.

Nick smiled at her. "No, Noah. And even if there were, do you think he'd pay attention to them? He loves you with everything he has. You're his world. He'd be an idiot to let you go. Unless he wanted to end up the way I did, that is," he replied. Noah looked up and smiled. "Thanks, Nick," she said softly. With those words, she turned around and walked into the house with Abigail.

Nick smiled when he walked across his driveway and saw Miley's car come down the street and pull up outside her house. She hopped out and walked over to him. "Hey there," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck. Nick gave her a soft kiss on the lips and pulled back with a smile on his face. "Hey," he said softly. Miley smiled and removed her arms. She took his hand and pulled him towards the house.

"Who's home?" she asked as Nick unlocked the door. "No one. Abi's staying at your place, my parents are out to dinner with yours, Kev's out with some friends, Frankie's out with friends too, and Joe's with Lilly at her house. And they're all staying at your place tonight," Nick replied as he pushed the door open, and Miley pulled him inside. "What time do they get back at tomorrow?" she asked. "I dunno. About noon?" Nick said. Miley smiled and slammed the door shut with her foot. "Sounds good to me," she said huskily in his ear. She brought his lips down to meet hers and kissed him with so much passion that he had to hold onto her to keep himself from falling back.

Nick placed one hand on her hip and the other on the back of her head. Miley wrapped her arms around his neck as he slammed her into the wall and picked her up. He moved the hand that was resting on her hip up her top and onto her stomach. He rubbed her stomach slowly, making her moan and open her mouth. Nick took the opportunity and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Miley moaned and threw her head back as Nick's lips moved down to her neck and began sucking on it.

He backed up and into the living room. They fell back onto the couch. Nick was beneath Miley. She unbuttoned his shirt slowly and pulled it off him. Nick pulled her shirt off her and moved down from her neck to her shoulder. He flipped them over so that he was over over her. He moved his lips down to her stomach, and started kissing around her belly button. Miley moaned and ran her fingers through Nick's hair. He smiled to himself. She was turning him on. He wanted her. Badly. And he knew she wanted him too. But what harm would a little teasing do?

Nick ran his hands up her thighs and reached the button and zipper on her pants. He undid the button and pulled down the zipper as he pulled her pants off. He ran his hands back down her thighs and up them again, slowly going between her legs. Miley's breath caught in her throat as he rubbed the insides of her thighs. She moaned loudly. "Nicky ... not here," she moaned. Nick smiled and picked her up. He carried her up the stairs and into his room.

Miley's want and need for Nick soon controlled her. She lost all self-control. She jumped down from his grasp and slammed him against the wall, making out with him hungrily. She couldn't resist him anymore. She slowly undid his belt and slipped his jeans off. Nick smiled to himself as he stepped out of them and guided her towards the bed. He laid her down and hovered over her as he continued to kiss her.

He slipped his hands behind her and slowly undid her bra. He took it off her and threw it across his bedroom, not caring where it landed. He moved back down to her neck as Miley wrapped her legs around his waist while moaning. Nick smiled as he laid soft kisses down her neck. "Nicky ... stop playing games ..." she moaned. Nick grinned at her. Miley groaned in frustration and tugged his boxers off. "Hmm, fiesty tonight, aren't we?" he whispered in her ear. Miley rolled her eyes. "Just do it," she muttered. Nick slowly peeled off her panties and threw them behind him.

Miley smiled at him, and he smiled back gently. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you too," Miley replied. Nick slowly went into her, watching her face for any indication of pain, but she looked like she was in Heaven as she moaned. "Nicky ... faster," she groaned. Nick slowly increased his speed and ferocity. Soon, he was grunting as he went harder and faster into her, encouraged by her moaning.

That night was filled with a lot of 'fun'. Or at least what they saw as fun.

--

The next morning, Miley woke up in Nick's bed. She smiled at the feeling of his arms around her. She turned to see Nick sleeping beside her. Miley smiled and kissed his cheek. "Nick, wake up," she whispered to him. Nick's eyes slowly opened, and he smiled when he saw Miley looking up at him. "Good morning," he said. "Hey," she said. Nick kissed her head. "Have fun last night?" he asked. Miley sat up and pulled on one of his t-shirts and a hair of his basketball shorts. "Of course. You?" Miley asked. She bit her lip as she smiled and tied her hair back while looking in the mirror. Nick wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Hmm, never better," he whispered into her ear.

Miley smiled to herself and turned to him. "You, Mr. Gray, have improved since last time," she said softly. Nick smiled. "I could say the same about you, Miss. Stewart," he whispered. Miley bit her lip. Nick closed his eyes. "Miles, you know that drives me crazy," he whispered. "Why do you think I'm doing it?" she whispered into his ear.

"Miles, come on. You wiped me out last night. We were going for at least three hours," Nick replied. "Ugh, fine," she said. She stopped biting her lip, and he opened his eyes. "I love you," Nick said softly to her. "I love you too," Miley replied.

--

At noon, Nick's parents and brothers walked through the door as Nick and Miley walked through the door. "Babe, could you go get Abigail?" Nick asked. Miley nodded and walked out the door as Mr. and Mrs. Gray walked into the kitchen, and Frankie walked upstairs. "So what happened last night?" Joe asked.

"I guess you'll never know," Nick said and winked at them before walking out the door, grabbing his keys as he walked past. "Nicholas! Come on! Tell us!" Kevin yelled as they stood through the front door. Nick turned and started walking backwards as he smiled and yelled, "No chance!" He unlocked his car and got in as Miley carried Abigail over and sat her in the back. She then closed the door and got into the passenger's seat.

Joe and Kevin watched as Nick smiled at her and kissed her hand before starting the car up and driving off. Joe took in the look of happiness on both of their faces. "He looks happier than ever," he whispered. Kevin nodded and whispered, "Our little brother's becoming a man." Joe gave him a look. "Dude. He's twenty two with a daughter and a serious girlfriend. I think he became a man when he was eighteen," he said.

Kevin shrugged. "Does it matter when he became one? The fact of the matter is that he is one," he said and walked inside. Joe smiled to himself and chuckled. "Brothers these days," he muttered and walked inside, closing the front door behind him.

--

Nick carried Abigail while holding Miley's hand as they walked into the diner in L.A. "Daddy, when we're done, can we go to the park again?" Abigail asked. "Ask your mom, princess," Nick said as the waitress led them to a booth. They all slipped in, and Abigail climbed onto her mother's lap. "Please, Mommy?" she begged. Miley smiled. "Of course we can, baby," she said. Abigail smiled and crawled across her to the edge of the table, where crayons and a colouring book had been laid down for her.

Nick scooched closer to Miley and squeezed her hand. "I thought I was your baby," he whispered in her ear. Miley bit her lip. "Maybe. Or maybe you got replaced," she replied. Nick chuckled and laid a soft kiss on her lips. "By the way you were acting last night, I highly doubt that," he said softly. Miley giggled and twisted his promise ring around.

"Mommy! I need to go potty!" Abigail moaned. Miley smiled. "I'm coming, sweetie," she said as she slid towards the end of the booth. Nick pulled her back. "Nick, I have to take her to the bathroom," Miley whispered. "I love you," Nick said. "I love you too," Miley said. She smiled and pulled her hand away before slipping out of the booth and carrying Abigail over to the bathrooms.

Nick smiled to himself. He sure did have it good.

**A/N: So, my second chapter today. I'm trying to make up for not updating in a while. So please review and tell me what you though. 3+ WORDS IN A REVIEW, PLEASE!**

**Love you guys. Charlotte xoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

The Way I Loved You.

Chapter 13.

Miley returned to the table with Abigail. Abigail went back to her colouring while Miley slipped in beside Nick. "Hey, beautiful," Nick said. Miley smiled. "Hey, handsome," she replied, and giggled lightly. "So, Lilly just texted me. Her, Joe, Oliver, Becca, Kevin and Emma are all going bowling tomorrow night, and they want to know if we're in," Nick said. "Sure," Miley said as their waitress came over. "Excuse me, are you ready to order?" she asked.

"Um, I think so," Nick said and glanced at Miley, who nodded. "I'll just have some fries, please," Miley said. Nick gave her a strange look. "What?" she mouthed. He sighed and looked at the menu. "Um, I'll have a burger," he said. "Abs, you hungry?" Miley asked as Nick wrapped his arm around her. "No thank you, Mommy," Abigail said. Miley smiled. "Um, I think that's it, thanks," she said, and the waitress walked away.

"Why the small lunch?" Nick asked. "I'm not too hungry," Miley said. "Miles, what's up?" Nick asked. "Nick, nothing's up. I'm just not that hungry," Miley defended. Nick sighed. "Okay, fine. So, who's place is Abs going to tomorrow night? Your parents or mine?" he asked. "I think your mom should have a turn with her," Miley said. Nick nodded. "I'll ask her when I get home," he said. "Nick, can I ask you something?" Miley whispered. Nick nodded.

"Why didn't you come after me?" she asked softly. Her voice was so quiet and gentle that it was barely audible. Nick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Miley, where was I supposed to look? I wanted to, believe me. But where was I supposed to go? I had no clue where you were," he said. "But everyone knew. Except you. Why didn't you just ask them?" she asked. "I did, Miles. Believe me. Every single day. Even when I went to New York and I was on the phone with someone, I would _always_ ask if they'd heard from you. Turns out that every 'no' they told me was a lie," Nick replied.

"You could have tried calling my cell," Miley said. "Would you have answered? I wanted to, but I couldn't handle rejection. Miley, I tried so hard to press call every time I dialled your number. But it was too hard. How was I supposed to talk to you? What was I supposed to say?" Nick asked. "Sorry would have been nice," she muttered. "Would you have accepted the apology? I was eighteen. I was stupid. I made mistakes. Heck, so have you. But the main thing is that I'm making up for the past four years. Right here, right now," he said.

Miley smiled at him. "I guess," she said. "You know I love you, right?" Nick asked. Miley nodded and smiled weakly. "I love you too," she said softly. Nick smiled and kissed her forehead. "You and Abs are the most important things in my life. I'm never letting you go again, Miles," he said softly. "Thank you. For being there for us. For sticking by us. For picking us over ... _her_," Miley said. Nick chuckled. "It was a hard choice," he said.

Miley hit his chest playfully. "Kidding! You know I would have picked you no matter what the circumstances were, babe," Nick said. Miley looked at Abigail and smiled. "We created that, Nick. We made a child," she whispered. Nick stroked her back soothingly. "So we did. And she's just as beautiful as her mother," he replied. Miley giggled. "She also has her dad wrapped around her finger," she said and poked him playfully in the stomach.

"Ah, yet another thing she has in common with her amazing mother," Nick replied. Miley blushed and looked down. "You love to flatter me, huh?" she asked. Nick grinned and shrugged. "I guess I do," he said. Miley smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "Did I mention that I love you?" she asked. Nick chuckled. "Once or twice," he said, and pulled her onto his lap. Miley smiled, and Nick kissed her temple and whispered, "I love you too."

Miley looked down and blushed. Abigail crawled across the seat to them and tugged on her father's sleeve. "Daddy!" she moaned. "Yes, princess?" Nick asked softly, stroking her hair while keeping his other arm around Miley's waist. "I want to spend time with you and Mommy!" she said. Miley smiled and squeezed Abigail's hand gently.

"Baby girl, you can spend whatever amount of time you want with us. Just say the word and we'll be there," she said. Abigail smiled and hugged Nick's arm. "I love you, Mommy. I love you, Daddy," she said softly. Her parents looked at each other and smiled.

"We love you too, Abi," Nick said softly and kissed Abigail's head, making the young girl beam happily, knowing that her parents loved her. Miley smiled and began to think to herself._ I'm glad I let him be in her life. She's happier than she's been in a long, long time_, she thought and smiled as Nick laughed at something Abigail said.

Nick glanced over at Miley and saw her smiling. He moved his face closer to hers and whispered in her ear, "What's got you so happy?" Miley simply smiled and ran her fingers lightly down his chest. "I was just thinking," she whispered back.

Nick looked at Abigail, who had gone back to her colouring. "About?" he asked. "About us. About how we've been through so much, yet we're happier than ever now. We have a child and we're in our twenties. We've gone through Mikayla and my jealousy issues, as well as yours. We've gone through me leaving for Tennessee. We've gone through the break-up. We've just been through so much and we're together again. It just amazes me, that's all," she said and smiled. Nick smiled.

"Every day you were gone ... every day you were away from me ... I thought about you. You were the first thing I thought about when I woke up every morning, and the last thing I thought about at night. It made me miserable to know that you hated me. And I regretted ever hurting you the way I hurt you. I know I broke your heart. And I made myself pay for that. I just want you to know, Miley, that I love you, and you're my life," he said. Miley felt tears sting the back of her eyes.

"Nick. that's so sweet. No one has ever been this open, honest or caring with me before. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," Miley replied as a single tear slipped down her cheek. Nick lifted his thumb and gently wiped it away with the pad. "Don't cry, babe," he whispered, barely audible over the loud chatter of the restaurant.

"I think that our food's coming," Miley said and slipped off his lap, wiping her eyes in a way that wouldn't make her make-up run. Nick stared at her as she smiled at Abigail. Nick smiled. He loved her. She was the best thing that had ever entered his life. And he knew it.

--

The next morning, Miley woke up in her house and ran to the bathroom and immediately threw up into the toilet. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth and leaned against the bath. She heard soft footsteps walk into her room. "Mommy?"

Miley stood up slowly and flushed the toilet. She wiped her mouth one more time and walked out into her bedroom. Abigail was sitting on the bed with a concerned expression on her face. "What's the matter, Abs?" she asked. She sat down and pulled Abigail onto her lap. "Mommy, why were you being sick?" Abigail asked worriedly. Miley smiled in a comforting way.

"I'm just sick, sweetheart. I'll be fine. How about you go and ask Noah and Brandi to help you get dressed, and then maybe your grandma will take you outside," Miley said. Abigail jumped down from her mother's lap and ran into her bedroom.

Miley closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she picked up her phone and dialled Lilly's number. Lilly answered within seconds. "Hello?" Miley felt tears prick her eyes as she spoke the words that could change her life all over again. "Lils, it's Miley. I-I think I'm pregnant."

There was no response for a few moments. "Lilly?"

"Does Nick know, Miles?" Lilly asked softly. "No. How am I supposed to tell him?" she asked. "So you're telling him this time?" Lilly asked. "Of course I am. He's with me and Abigail to stay. I'm not running away from my problems like last time," Miley replied. "OK. I'll be right over. Want me to bring anything?" Lilly asked. Miley knew she was referring to a pregnancy test.

"On the way, could you stop at the store and get me a pregnancy test?" Miley asked quietly. "Of course. I'll be there in a half hour," Lilly said. And she hung up. Miley put down her phone and lay back on the bed. How could she have gotten pregnant again? Then she quickly sat up and remembered. The times she had been having sex with Nick since they had gotten back together, he hadn't used protection. It had never occurred to her.

Miley sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she walked over to the window. She saw Nick strumming his guitar through his bedroom window, staring up at the clouds. Miley smiled. It had always been one of his favourite things to do. He loved watching the clouds slowly float through the sky like white candyfloss floating on water.

Miley grabbed a pair of clean sweats and a Beatles shirt out of her drawer and walked into the bathroom to change.

--

A half hour later, Lilly walked into the house and ran straight up to Miley's room, where she saw Miley with her head in her hands. Lilly hugged her and handed her the test. "Miles, it'll be alright. I know it wasn't planned, but Nick will finally have the chance to hold his own baby," Lilly comforted. Miley sighed and nodded. "I guess I have to do this. For Nick, right?" she said, and walked into the bathroom.

Minutes later, she walked out anxiously. "I have to wait a few minutes," she said, and sat on the bed beside Lilly. Seconds felt like hours, and minutes felt like days. The world seemed to have stopped in Miley's mind. All she could think about was the baby that could possibly be growing inside her.

After what felt like months, the alarm on Lilly's phone went off. She quickly turned it off. Miley froze. She couldn't handle looking at the test. "Want me to go get it?" Lilly asked softly. Miley nodded slowly and stared straight in front of her. Lilly got up and walked into the bathroom. She walked out moments later and held the test out to Miley.

"Congrats, I guess. Looks like you're pregnant," Lilly said.

--

That night, Miley was laying in the hammock in her garden, staring at the stars. Abigail was out with Kevin, Joe, Frankie, Noah, Jackson and Brandi. She heard footsteps and turned her head to see Nick walking towards her. She sat up and looked up at him. "Hey," she said softly. Nick sat at the other end of the hammock. "Hey," he replied.

"I think we should talk," Miley said softly. He nodded. "Abs said you were sick this morning. You alright?" he asked. Miley nodded. "That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Nick, I don't know how to say this to you, but ... I'm pregnant again," Miley replied. Nick sat in his position, frozen. "Nick?" she asked, waving a hand in front of his face. There was no response.

"Babe, please say something," Miley said. Nick blinked slightly and looked at her. "Y-You're pregnant?" he asked slowly. Miley nodded softly. Nick's face broke out into a beaming smile and he hugged her tightly. "You mean, you and me have a baby?!" he asked excitedly. Miley giggled slightly and laughed.

Nick kissed her passionately. "I promise you that I'll be there for you whenever you need me. I'm always a phone call away. Well, technically in our case, we're a fence away ..." Nick said, drifting off into thought. Miley giggled. "Nick, none of that stuff matters. All that matters is that you and me are having a baby," she said, linking their hands together.

She crawled over to him and cuddled up to him as he lay back and they stared at the stars. "So we should think about getting our own place now, huh?" he asked. Miley shrugged. "I guess. Unless you want to stay where we are," she replied.

Nick gave her a look and kissed her head. "Baby, I want to wake up beside you every morning. I want you to be the last thing I see before I fall asleep. I want to wake up because Abigail is jumping on us to wake us up. I want to eat dinner with you every single night. I want to live as a family," he said. Miley smiled.

"You really mean that?" she asked happily. Nick nodded and smiled, and kissed her head again. "Of course I mean it. I wouldn't want anything else in the world more than I want that," he said. Miley smiled and cuddled up to him more, planting a soft kiss on his neck. Nick closed his eyes and breathed in the air.

"In fact ... speaking of what I want more than anything else in the world ... there is no other place in the universe I'd rather be right now than here with you, looking at the stars," he said softly. Miley giggled and said, "Wow. Cheesy." Nick laughed. "But you love me for it, right?"

"You know I do," Miley replied. Nick looked at her, and he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. That was the way things were supposed to be, and they knew that if anything were to change, it would NOT be their relationship at that moment in time.

**A/N: Hey guys. So this is the last proper chapter. The next chapter will be the epilogue. And then I'm starting a new story I've been thinking about lately. Also, I have a message for any people that watch my YouTube series. As you know, I took a break because of people's comments, but I still signed on to talk to friends. So I decided to start back on Sunday night, with a mini marathon. 3 episodes in one night. Can't wait personally :)**

**SO! REVIEW with 3+ WORDS! We don't want what happened to my YouTube watchers/readers to happen to you guys now, do we? Lolz. We'll see how the reviewing goes and then I'll post the epilogue. I love you guys :) xoxo**

**Charlotte xoxo**


	14. Epilogue

The Way I Loved You.

Epilogue.

**3 years later ...**

Nick walked into the living room of the house he shared with his wife and three children. Miley, his wife, was sitting on the couch, with their three year old son, Tyler, beside her, and their one year old daughter, Ellie, in her arms. Their eldest daughter, seven year old Abigail, was sitting on the floor, watching cartoons on the flat screen TV. Nick smiled at the sight of his family and walked over.

"Hey, Abs," he said, and immediately, Abigail jumped up and hugged her father's legs. "Dad!" she cried. Nick smiled and lifted her up. He kissed her head and ruffled her soft brown curls. She still looked the image of her mother, with the exception of the eyes she had gotten from her father.

Nick put Abigail down again and walked over to Tyler. He picked up his son and ruffled his hair. "Hey, Ty," he said. Tyler smiled. "Daddy!" he cried, just like Abigail had. Nick smiled at his only son. He was the image of himself. He had Nick's brown curls and the same facial features. Except he had his mother's deep blue eyes. The eyes Nick had fallen in love with.

Nick put Tyler back down and sat down beside Miley. Miley handed their youngest child to him, and Nick looked down at the beautiful little girl. She was a mixture of her parents, with Nick's eyes and nose, but Miley's mouth and hair. "Hey, El," he said to the little girl. Ellie giggled. "Dada!" she cried. Nick smiled. Abigail walked over. "Mom, can I take her to play dollies with me?" Abigail asked, and Miley nodded while smiling. Nick placed Ellie on the ground. Abigail took her hand and helped her into the playroom. Tyler jumped down and followed them.

Nick turned to Miley and smiled. "Hello, beautiful," he said. "Hmm, hello, Mr. Gray," Miley said with a small smirk playing on her lips. "How was your day?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her onto his lap. "As entertaining as it can get when you're leaving a seven year old to school and watching a three year old and a one year old," Miley replied, playing with Nick's curls.

"Tyler didn't paint the walls in his room again, right?" Nick asked. Miley giggled. "No, Nick. He didn't," she replied. Nick smiled back at her and kissed her head. "I missed you at work today," he said softly. "I missed you too. But you're home for the next two weeks, right?" Miley asked. Nick nodded. "Don't you just love Christmas break?" he asked. Miley smiled at him. "We need to sort out our Christmas Day plans," she said.

"My mom wanted me to tell you that your family is having dinner with my family this year. Everyone's coming. She wants to know if you're interested in bringing the kids to my parents' place and eating with everyone there," Nick said. Miley smiled. "Sounds fun. Tyler's been waiting to see Kimberly for days," she said. Nick smiled and stroked her hair as she continued to tell him things that had happened through the day.

"Ellie can go a few steps on her own now. But then she falls over. Abigail's so good to her, though. Every time she falls, Abs just helps her back up again without a complaint. We should be really proud of her," Miley said. "Babe, we already are proud of her. We've been proud of her for years," he replied. Miley smiled and said, "I know, but I guess we never really show her how proud we are of her. We're always so busy trying to stop Tyler from going crazy and stopping Ellie from crawling away."

Nick nodded and took Miley's hands in her own. "How about, some day during the Christmas break, you take Abi out shopping or something. Don't worry about Ty and El. I'll watch them. I think Abs deserves some attention for once since Tyler was born," Nick said. Miley smiled and nodded. "I think she'd really like that."

"Alright. Well, Joe and I are going to that new bar in town tonight. So I better go and get changed," Nick said. He started to get up, but Miley pulled him down and closer to her by his tie. She brought their faces incredibly close together. So close that they could feel each other breathing. "Don't drink too much," she whispered and pulled back, smirking. "You, baby, are a tease," Nick said. Miley laughed and stood up, walking upstairs.

"That is so hot," he muttered to himself, and ran up after her.

**A/N: There's a really short epilogue. Just telling you what happened a few years after etc. and where they were in their life and relationship. So three kids. Abigail, Tyler and Ellie. I love them :) OK, so I'm going to start writing Chapter 1 of my new story!!! I estimate that it'll be out at the weekend. But I don't know. You see, I am going to have piles of homework. My BFF will be bringing it over for me since I'm off due to the ankle. Hate it being broken =/ But it has it's advantages. No school this week :D Love that part. But whatever. Moving on. So ...**

**REVIEW WITH 3+ WORDS!!! Please :) Thank you so much for all the reviews and support I got from this story. It means so much to me. Probably one of my most successful stories to date. I loved writing it. Thank you for reading and reviewing and such. I love that people like my stories. It means the world to me, honest to God. You guys are amazing fans. I love you all so much. You mean the world to me, just like your reviews and support :) SO review and tell me what you thought :)**

**Thanks. I love you guys xoxo**

**Charlotte xoxo**


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